Vollkommenheit
by Ivy deLeon
Summary: The story of Franziska von Karma, and her descent into the harsh and demanding world that her father created, before the arrival of some of the most important people in her life.
1. Daughter

_**Vollkommenheit**_

_Chapter 1:_

_Tochter_

**_Author's note: This is _not_ the__ third installment of the Perfection series. But this does follow the same time line as the Perfection series. The title is in German, and is does, in fact, mean perfection. And while the chapter titles will be in German, on the drop down menu, they will be in English. Okay…you know the drill. I don't own Phoenix Wright games or characters…and if I did, I'd be swimming in my own pool of money (which would be shaped like a dollar bill!) But I DO own Diana (pronounced Dee-ahna with a German accent), and Marty Cruss. I'll never abandon my story! Promise! And while you don't have to read Limits or Striving before this...it might help, as some of the flashbacks will be referenced to. _**

**_AND NOW...ON TO THE STORY_**

* * *

She supposed the earliest memories of her life were that of her father. She remembered looking up at him when she was a small child and feeling the awe and reverence that hovered around him. From her crib, she remembered that Manfred von Karma was the epitome of safety for her. He was a tall, staggeringly built man, with his graying hair slicked back to give him a professional air. His suits were always a deep blue in color; pressed perfectly with not a wrinkle in sight; and his cane was the thing that alerted Franziska to his presence. It was made of oak and had a golden sphere on top of it. Never in her wildest dreams did she believed that it would ever do her any harm. In her early years, she remembered him smiling at her several times. Whether he was smiling at the thought that here was the child who would continue his legal empire, or whether he was just fond of her in those times when she couldn't talk back...she would never know. She could never ask him, after all. 

When she was three, her father had already taught her to read, and speak in both English and German. He preferred it when she spoke English around the house, since he spent most of his time traveling to America. Already, she was on the way to be her father's heir and be the perfect child he had always wanted. She remembered how much he hated her sister...though she wasn't even sure, as time went on, that she really had one...but she did. Later on, she met her sister, _and_ her niece. Her sister...who seemed to be happy as a school teacher. What a fool! Not to want to follow in the von Karma name? Franziska could not understand her sister's actions.

_"Papa?"_

_She remembered finding him in his lounge. The fire place was burning brightly on this cold, winter night. Sitting in his leather lounge chair, Manfred von Karma was still a startling sight to see while he was on his off time. He held himself high as his steel eyes skimmed the pages of a book until he heard the little child's voice. He had enough time to spare...enough to pay attention to this scrawny thing that would one day succeed him._

_"Yes, Franziska? What is it, child?"_

_Manfred von Karma put down the large-leather bound book he had in his hands, and looked at the wide-eyed, somber child. She had walked into the room after the maid, Diana, had lifted her out of her crib. Franziska was given the leisure of being the only child in the house...and her father's instructions were clear for the time being: Franziska was to have her way, as the heir to the von Karma name. Nothing would be denied to her._

_"What are you reading, Papa?" Franziska asked quietly and curiously. This must have been the right question to ask, as Manfred von Karma let a satisfied smile slip on to his lips. He reached down and lifted the child up on to his knee, placing the large book in her tiny hands. Franziska gawked at it...the book was huge and the leather binding felt cool to the touch._

_"**This, **Franziska, is a book on law. I study it every day so that I can continue to do my job perfectly." Manfred von Karma stated with a tone of arrogance about his that the young child did not comprehend._

_"...because...because you put bad people in jail to protect me, right Papa?" she asked with a smile that could melt an icy demon's heart. _

_But Manfred von Karma was not icy...but stone. And warmth did nothing to break the barriers of stone. He frowned, the disapproving look etched into his face._

_"Of course **not**, child. Do you think me so foolish as to simply do my job to protect **you**? No one protects you in life, Franziska. Don't expect **me **to. Are we clear, daughter?" His voice was stern, foreboding, threatening even. It made Franziska tremble in her tiny little frame. She swallowed hard, and nodded quickly, not wanting to displease her father. "You **have** a voice! I've heard **you use it**, so speak **UP**!" the German man's tone of voice darkened to a deadly threat. _

_"...J...ja! Ich verstehe, Papa!" Franziska exclaimed quickly, and then switched back to English, knowing her father would prefer it. "I understand, Papa. I'm...I'm sorry. I just wanted to know what you do because I want...I want to be just like you, Papa!"_

_**This childish confession may have been the one thing that sealed her fate**._

_It brought a devilish grin to Manfred von Karma's face, and let his laughter, like deep thunder, fill all of the room. Though his plan was to make Franziska his heir and force her to become a prosecutor, this had turned out better than he thought. Here she was, **begging** to become just like him._

_"So, you want to be like your father, huh? Be a prosecutor?" he asked, rather pleased._

_"Yes, Papa!" Franziska exclaimed, happy to see him proud of her. "Well then. You had better get started, Franziska. After all, you will be the heir to my legacy when I am long gone. And you will be the **perfect** prosecutor." Manfred von Karma took Franziska off of his knee and handed her the large book, which she could barely hold up. She put the book down on the floor and looked up as her father began to speak again._

_"You know I must leave for America tomorrow, Franziska...Diana, your maid, will see to it that you are taken care of adequately. By the time I return home I expect for you to have that entire book read so many times that you can recite it by heart and you can quote any line from that book on the spot. If you can do that, **then**, and only **then** will I call you my heir and teach you to be a prosecutor. Don't let me down, Franziska."_

_"Oh no, Papa! I won't! I promise!" Franziska exclaimed with wide eyes. "But please...don't be gone long, Papa. I'll miss you."_

_She knew the minute she said it that it was the wrong thing to say. _

_"What was that?" he asked, narrowing his eyes._

_"...I...I said that I would miss you, Papa!"_

_Manfred von Karma stood up and grabbed his cane, threatening the girl with it. Franziska began to slowly scoot back as he began to speak._

_"**NEVER** say that, girl! If you ever want to be the perfect prosecutor that your father is, you have to stop this weakness, now! Such emotions are not tolerated in the courtroom, and have **never** been tolerated in my household! You know that!"_

_"Y-yes Father!" Franziska whispered, shocked beyond belief._

_The prosecutor looked down at his daughter sternly for a moment, and then stood up straight, still staring at her. He slicked back a piece of hair that had fallen out of place, shook himself to regain his composure, and with a 'hmph', walked away slowly. Franziska could still hear the cane as her father fell out of her vision, and walked upstairs. She slowly exhaled a breath that she was not aware she was holding. The tiny girl then realized that her back was pressed hard against the wall, and she slowly eased herself up until she was standing again._

_The book!_

_Franziska rushed to the floor where the book lay, and clutched it close to her chest. She didn't quite understand why her father had acted that way...it was as though his entire attitude had changed the moment she had agreed to becoming a prosecutor, and following in his footsteps...no, that couldn't be right. In her mind, in the still childish mind of Franziska von Karma, her father loved her...she was his heir...and she could always find favor with him. So her logic was that since she must have done something wrong, she had to fix it...and she would, by reading the book her father had given._

_If she could show him...show him how **perfect** she could be..._

_This thought brought a smile to the face of the toddler as she looked down at the book. Filled with the curiosity that could only be described as that inherited through a von Karma, she quickly rushed upstairs to her room and closed the door behind her. She sat down in the pile of pillows in the corner and opened the large book..._

_And Franziska von Karma took a step towards the woman she would become, fifteen years later._

_

* * *

**Please do let me know what you think of this! I really would like feedback and advice on whether or not to continue this story! Thank you!!**_


	2. I am my Father's Daughter

_**Vollkommenheit**_

_Chapter 2:_

_**Ich bin die Tochter meines Vaters**_

**_Author's note: This is _not_ the__ third installment of the Perfection series. But this does follow the same time line as the Perfection series. The title is in German, and is does, in fact, mean perfection. And while the chapter titles will be in German, on the drop down menu, they will be in English. Okay…you know the drill. I don't own Phoenix Wright games or characters…and if I did, I'd be swimming in my own pool of money (which would be shaped like a dollar bill!) But I DO own Diana (pronounced Dee-ahna with a German accent), and Marty Cruss. I'll never abandon my story! Promise! And while you don't have to read Limits or Striving before this...it might help, as some of the flashbacks will be referenced to. _**

**_TO MY REVIEWERS!_**

**_Wow...I must be making a name for myself here...five reviews in one day!_**

**_neoswordmaster: I saw that! But someone took their story off, and so it then became the 599th...but I'm still going to claim it was the 600th!_**

**_Tilea: I shall! Thank you for such encouragement!_**

**_noian: I wanted to make him more human at this point in time, but don't worry...he'll be more evil! muahahahhah!_**

**_Indochine: Thank you!_**

**_Vaxl: Haha! Me too! She's so cute, isn't she?_**

**_AND NOW...ON TO THE STORY_**

**_Ah, these translations you might need..._**

_Kleine Dame...little lady_

_Ja...yes_

_Auf Wiedersehen...goodbye (formal)_

_Herr...Sir_

_Frau...Mrs. (respectful) _

_Meine Mutter...my mother_

_Es tut mir Leid...I'm sorry _

* * *

What was it that brought this back to her? A distant memory...something she had kept buried deep inside of her. What exactly was it that compelled her mind to fixate on her father? She had not given a thought to her father since she realized his involvement in the DL6 case. Since that day, she had stopped looking up to her father...so why was her mind so fixated on him now? 

_"Is the reason you came here to avenge your father?"_

Foolish man! Foolish defense lawyer...Phoenix Wright... She pounded her fists on the desk so hard, that she was sure they would have made impressions and dents. How DARE he suggest that she come all these miles and suffer so many hours of long study, to come to avenge her father?! How **dare** he even suggest that he knew enough about her to try and guess her motives! What did he know? What did...what did **anyone** know...?

_"The term **criminal law**, sometimes called **penal law**, refers to any of various bodies of rules in different __jurisdictions__ whose common characteristic is the potential for unique and often severe impositions as punishment for failure to comply. __Criminal punishment__, depending on the __offense__ and __jurisdiction__, may include __execution__, loss of __liberty__, government supervision (__parole__ or __probation__), or __fines__. There are some archetypal crimes, like __murder__, but the acts that are forbidden are not wholly consistent between different criminal codes, and even within a particular code lines may be blurred as civil infractions may give rise also to criminal consequences. Criminal law typically is enforced by the __government__, unlike the __civil law__, which may be enforced by private parties."_

_Franziska looked up and sighed, closing the book. Her father had been gone for several weeks now, and she had been diligently reading every day, for at least eight hours a day. While Diana clucked at her like an angry mother hen, Franziska merely kept her eyes glued to the book and barely responded. She was disappointed that she hadn't heard a word from her father. Normally, Manfred von Karma would call her almost every week if he was on business. She was always proud to hear his voice, and then hear him call her his heir. He would call, to check on her and to make sure she was was being taken care of. But this time...this time he hadn't even bothered as to call to simply say hello! Feeling the slight hurt, she looked down at the book and was surprised to notice a piece of paper in the center of the book, halfway sticking out. Cursing herself mentally on not being mentally sharp enough to have seen it earlier, Franziska opened the book to that page and pulled out the paper. Written on it, in bold cursive letters that could have only been written by a masculine hand, was a note._

**_No matter what, the defendant is ALWAYS guilty!  
Never hesitate and never show emotions.  
Emotions are a sign of weakness, and a weak prosecutor is nothing in a court of law!  
Remember this, Franziska!_**

_It was as though she was holding a bar of gold in her hands, the way she treated this piece of paper. She clutched the piece of paper to her chest and a burst of pride filled her body. It was a note written to her by her father! It was the most special thing in the world to the child...more valuable than anything in her room...than anything in her house... Franziska turned around and tucked the note underneath a pillow in her crib for safe keeping. Upon turning back and closing the large book, she happened to look up, and there was Diana, standing in the doorway, holding a phone._

_"Kleine dame...your father is on the phone. He wishes to speak to you." she murmured, walking towards the child, and handing the eager girl the phone. Franziska pressed it up to her ear and squealed an eager, "Hello?!". _

_There was a pause before her father answered back. "Hello, Franziska." he replied calmly. _

_"Papa! How is America? Is it just as wonderful as it was the last time you were there? How are you, Papa? I've been reading that book ever since you left! Oh! Why didn't you call me earlier, Papa? I-" _

_"**FRANZISKA**!"_

_Manfred von Karma's voice rang throughout the phone, and even Diana, who was standing at the doorway, flinched, as she could hear it as well._

_"Franziska, stop babbling child, and let me speak!"_

_"Y-yes, Papa." Franziska whispered, shrinking slightly. _

_"Now...I'm rather impressed that you have been dedicated enough to study that book. You have exceeded my expectations."_

_This made Franziska's frame swell with pride._

_"When I return home, you will have company to help you in your studies." Manfred von Karma continued._

_This statement caused shock to the child. Her way of life would be shattered as she knew it! Another person in this house? Swallowing hard, the child began to speak. "...w-what do you mean, Papa?" she questioned. _

_"His name is Miles Edgeworth...His father was killed in a tragic accident, and he has no family left...so I offered to take him in. He will be studying to be a prosecutor just like you, Franziska. Naturally, I expect you to be better than him... But, of course, you **will** teach him the rules of our home, won't you?" Manfred von Karma's tone of voice made the last statement sound more like a demand than a question._

_But these words brought a sympathetic pang to Franziska's heart. How **kind** it was of her father to help a poor, orphan boy. Of **course **nothing would change with his arrival. She, and not this boy, was a von Karma, and as such, **she** was destined for life as a prosecutor.__ She was sure he didn't have the drive and determination it took.__ Perhaps the boy would make a nice limo driver..._

_"Of **course**, Papa. He will learn what perfection means in this household. I will teach him." she replied confidently._

_This was received with a hearty laugh from her father. "Ah! That is what I was expecting to hear from you, Franziska. Continue to read that book. I will be calling again to quiz you on your knowledge. Hand the phone back to Diana now, and let me speak to her."_

_Franziska was contemplating asking for more time to speak with her father, but she decided not, thinking of the last time she showed weakness towards him. She suppressed the childish and clinging emotions that were normal of her age._

_"Goodbye, Papa." she replied to the surprise of the stern man on the other end of the phone. Franziska could practically hear her father's pleased smile. __What she could **not** see, were the wheels turning in his head, and his mind working overtime, now that she was showing signs of the cold exterio__r that was the very essence of a von Karma. His grin widened as he spoke in return. _

_"Auf __Wiedersehen, Franziska." _

_Holding the phone up for maid, Franziska looked at Diana that held traces of coldness in them. "Papa wants to speak with you Frau Diana." she stated, as the woman quickly snatched the device from the child. Franziska watched carefully as Diana tried to whisper her conversation._

_"...Ja...Ja, Herr von Karma...I'll make another room up...what...of course I'm taking care of her! Manfred, what sort of...Es tut mir Leid...Herr von Karma...I'll fix that immediately...Ja...Auf Wiedersehen." She hung up the phone and looked at the curious child._

_"Diana...when is Papa coming home?" Franziska asked, resting her hands on the bar of her crib._

_"...he didn't tell me, Franziska." Diana replied._

_"Oh..." Franziska whispered with a sigh._

_Diana smiled slightly and walked to the child, lifting her up and holding her against her hip. "Ah...__Kleine dame...you remind me so much of your Mama, you know that?" Diana asked with a chuckle, to the surprise of her ward._

_"__Meine Mutter?" Franziska questioned with wide eyes._

_"Yes, your Mama. She used to wait for your Papa just like that...waiting by the window, sighing." Diana replied. _

_"So you know my Mama?" Franziska asked, hopeful...until Diana shook her head._

_"I **knew** your Mama, __Kleine dame. I don't know her any more." she replied softly._

_"Oh..." Franziska replied nodding. "Do you think...one day...she'll come back and see me?"_

_This questioned shocked the maid, but she shook her head. "Your Mama will probably never come back, __Kleine dame. But know that she is always proud of you, no matter what path you choose."_

_"Really Diana?" Franziska asked._

_"Absolutely, Franziska...but...never forget...**you** are your father's daughter." _


	3. But I am only a girl

_**Vollkommenheit**_

_Chapter 3:_

_**Aber ich bin nur ein Mädchen**_

**_Author's note: This is _not_ the__ third installment of the Perfection series. But this does follow the same time line as the Perfection series. The title is in German, and is does, in fact, mean perfection. And while the chapter titles will be in German, on the drop down menu, they will be in English. Okay…you know the drill. I don't own Phoenix Wright games or characters…and if I did, I'd be swimming in my own pool of money (which would be shaped like a dollar bill!) But I DO own Diana (pronounced Dee-ahna with a German accent), and Marty Cruss. I'll never abandon my story! Promise! And while you don't have to read Limits or Striving before this...it might help, as some of the flashbacks will be referenced to. _**

**_TO MY REVIEWERS!_**

**_Tilea: I know! And you know what? I figured it was fair game! You were smart to figure out that she would be a central figure in this!_**

**_XFireFistAceX: Wow...I don't know where to start...I'm unbelievably flattered! I never thought I could get a character down to a tee, like I am doing with Manfred von Karma! Kind and encouraging words like yours are the things that really propel this fic! I'm so glad you liked the last one, and this one! And thank you for the tip about Apollo Justice. I'll be sure to check that out!  
_**

**_AND NOW...ON TO THE STORY_**

**_This was the hardest chapter for me to write...because this reminds me of the fights me and my dad have...so if I get too detailed...sowwy! _**

**_Ah, these translations you might need... _**

_Kleine Dame...little lady_

_Ja...yes_

_Auf Wiedersehen...goodbye (formal)_

_Herr...Sir_

_Frau...Mrs. (respectful) _

_Meine Mutter...my mother_

_Es tut mir Leid...I'm sorry_

_Guten tag...good day _

* * *

_Surprisingly, she received the call from her father that he had warned her about...the phone call itself was not surprising...it was the time that had lapsed since their last talk. It had only been two days... It was while she was studying...in the middle of a large passage of text...that Diana rapped on her door, with the phone in her hand again. Franziska was sure her expression must have been a sight._

_"Kleine Dame...it is your father. He wishes to speak to you."_

_While the phone call was unexpected, that did **not** mean it was unwelcome. Franziska eagerly reached for the phone, and when it was handed to her, Diana watched sadly as Franziska did not answer with her usual cheerful hello, but a simple, "Guten tag, Papa."._

_It must have impressed the man on the other end, for there was a shocked pause in return._

_"Papa?" Franziska questioned softly. She did not sound like the Franziska of two days ago...but more mature...letting go of the childishness that had annoyed Manfred von Karma to no end. Perhaps there was potential in her after all...but still...Franziska could hear her father clear his throat, and then he spoke finally._

_"Guten, tag, Franziska. I suppose you know why I have called?"_

_"Ja, Papa. I'm ready." Franziska replied, throwing the large book out of her crib, trying not to sound too eager to impress him. She had done all the studying that she could possibly do, and while she had gotten about three-fourths through the book, she was sure her father didn't really expect her to know-_

_"Page 864...chapter 80, subsection 14." came Manfred von Karma's gruff voice over the phone._

_Franziska blanched...why...oh why did her father have to choose the **exact** page she had stopped at...? _

_Her mouth felt as dry as sand...and there was a lump in her throat the size of a soccer ball...she wasn't even sure if she was remembering to breathe or not...breaking out into a cold sweat, she began to stammer over the phone._

_"P...Papa...I...I was studying...I...I promise...Y...you...you just...picked...th...the page...I-"_

_"...do you not know it, Franziska...?" Manfred von Karma asked in a low tone of voice._

_"...N-no! That's not it, Papa!" Franziska exclaimed quickly._

_"...then say it. What is the paragraph on __page 864, chapter 80, subsection 14?"_

_"...Papa...I..." the pained voice came over loudly and clearly...and she could hear the sound of glass breaking in the background. "Oh papa, please...!" she begged, not knowing what was coming next._

_"Please **what**? Give you another chance? You **disappoint me, Franziska!**" Manfred von Karma shouted, as the girl winced on the other end._

_**"**Y**ou expect me to pass down my legal empire to a child who can't even prove her worth?! You are absolutely WORTHLESS, Franziska!"**_

_Her tiny heart felt shattered._

_Never...never in her entire three years had her father ever said that..._

_She...she was his **heir**! She was the perfect child! He...he **couldn't** discard her..._

_"**You're just a girl...how could I have expected you to be able to do ANYTHING?! You're too emotional...even for three! Never pick that book up again, Franziska! You will NEVER be my heir! Do you hear me, girl? You are positively WORTHLESS!"**_

_"...P...Papa...?" she whispered, dropping the phone onto the floor._

_Her entire body trembled. How could...how could he say these things to her? _

_She...she...she was Franziska von Karma! _

_She was his daughter! _

_Weren't fathers supposed to love their daughters? _

_Why did he say the hateful things he was saying? _

_This couldn't be real!_

_Diana rushed by the child and picked the phone up...but Franziska was too shocked to even listen to what her maid was saying...she couldn't believe that this had happened...it just couldn't have been possible. Wasn't...wasn't she his heir?_

_"**How could you say that to a CHILD, MANFRED?! To YOUR CHILD?!"**_

_ Franziska's head snapped up quickly upon hearing her father's first name. Normally Diana, who was just a maid, would call him Herr von Karma...but...for some reason, she called him by his first name when she was infuriated. Franziska supposed it was merely an adult thing that she did not understand._

_"**NO! I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY! YOU CAN'T SAY THAT TO HER, LIKE SHE'S JUST YOUR PUPPET TO DO WHAT-**"_

_Diana stopped suddenly, and it looked as though her heart had fallen into the pit of her stomach. She covered her mouth as she inhaled a gasp, and then slowly nodded her head as she listened to Manfred's words on the other end._

_"I...I understand...Herr von Karma...forgive my outburst..."_

_Like a hot air balloon with the flame extinguished, Diana seemed to deflate...her spirit gone. She slowly pressed the red button to end the call, and turned slowly to look at the wide-eyed child. She managed a meager smile, and placed the phone on a dresser. Franziska, her bottom lip sticking out in the middle of a pout, merely extended her arms for the maid to pick her up, and Diana obliged. She held the heir in her arms as Franziska just stared blankly at the phone. _

_She could feel the tiny teardrops falling onto her face, and was surprised when Diana wiped them away._

_"You mustn't cry, Franziska..." she whispered gently._

_"For your own sake...you mustn't cry, but be strong. You may be just a girl, to your father...but you're **his** daughter. You will become the greatest prosecutor the world has ever seen...and then...even your father will have to admit his wrongdoing."_

_"B...but Papa said...for me to never...to never open that book...again..." Franziska replied through sniffling and unwanted tears._

_"**Don't listen to him**." Diana replied boldly, making the child gasp. _

_Not listen to her father?_

_That was like heresy! _

_"Don't listen to him, Franziska. Not when he says things like that." Diana continued strongly. "If he wants to batter your spirit, only make him think that he is...when you come out from behind and whip him...he'll never know what hit him."_

_Franziska looked at Diana with curious eyes. "So...I...I should get a whip?" she asked, blinking._

_The maid laughed, and ruffled the child's hair. "If that's what gets you through the day with him...then yes, Franziska." she replied with a genuine smile._

_And later, when Diana had left to clean up the living room and continue preparing a room for the new occupant of the house, Franziska pulled the piece of paper from underneath her pillow and looked at it. _

_"...emotions...are...a sign of weakness..." she whispered, wiping away a tear. Shoving the paper back under her pillow, Franziska crossed her arms over her chest and looked at the large book on the floor._

_...Papa said..._

_But...Diana..._

_...can I...?_

_Can I really become the perfect prosecutor?_

_Slowly, the child pressed the button that lowered the bar on her crib, and reached down to grab the book. Pulling it up with all of her strength, she ran her hand over its leather cover...and slowly...slowly but surely, she opened it back up to page 864..._

_She may have been just a girl...but she was her father's daughter...just like Diana said she was... _


	4. Truth

_**Vollkommenheit**_

_Chapter 4:_

_**Wahrheit**_

**_Author's note: This is _not_ the__ third installment of the Perfection series. But this does follow the same time line as the Perfection series. The title is in German, and is does, in fact, mean perfection. And while the chapter titles will be in German, on the drop down menu, they will be in English. Okay…you know the drill. I don't own Phoenix Wright games or characters…and if I did, I'd be swimming in my own pool of money (which would be shaped like a dollar bill!) But I DO own Diana (pronounced Dee-ahna with a German accent), and Marty Cruss. I'll never abandon my story! Promise! And while you don't have to read Limits or Striving before this...it might help, as some of the flashbacks will be referenced to. _**

**_TO MY REVIEWERS!_**

**_Tilea: Thanks! But at least it's not as bad as Franziska and Manfred's relationship! (Actually...it's nowhere NEAR as bad as their relationship.) Sooo...you think you've figured it out, huh? This chapter might either confirm or deny your thoughts! _**

**_Noian: It's fine! I'm on a roll tonight...today...er...anyway, yeah, I thought of simply making this a oneshot...but then I had so many ideas...I was just like...NAAAAAHH...this has gotta be a WHOLE story!_**

**_AND NOW...ON TO THE STORY_**

**_Ah, these translations you might need... _**

_Kleine Dame...little lady_

_Ja...yes_

_Auf Wiedersehen...goodbye (formal)_

_Herr...Sir_

_Frau...Mrs. (respectful) _

_Meine Mutter...my mother_

_Es tut mir Leid...I'm sorry_

_Guten tag...good day_

_Weibchen...bitch _

* * *

_"And this is **your** room. You will follow every household rule to the absolute perfection for which it was created. This household **runs**_ _on perfection. I will not tolerate **you** causing my manor to go into disarray. You will be up and ready at five each morning, dressed, combed, showered. You will have your bed made, and any books you might have read, put away in alphabetical order on the bookshelf. Breakfast is served at 5:10 AM.** SHARP.** Don't you **dare** come down any later. You are to follow **each** and **every** order I give you, or you will be kicked to the curb, Miles Edgeworth. Are we **CLEAR**?"_

_Franziska peered around the corner of her bedroom door. Ever since noon, two weeks later, when her father had arrived home, she had waited patiently for him to come upstairs to see her...but he had not. Instead, he had shown that **boy** around the house that was hers and hers alone._

_She despised him the minute she saw him._

_No one ever told her he was an older boy! He was ten at least...no wonder her father was so taken with him...it disgusted her. His hair was combed neatly and he wore black pants and a red polo shirt. His shoes were shined and his voice was calm and submissive towards the man who had taken him in. This child was no poor orphan like her father had made her imagine! He was a rich man's child! _

_"Spoiled brat..." she muttered to herself._

_That's all he was, she was sure...now she was watching as her father clapped the boy...what was his name? Miles? Yes, yes that was it...she watched as her father clapped Miles on the back, like an old chum, and her scowl deepened onto her face further. Her beautiful expressions lately, had turned into grimaces, scowls, and looks of disgust._

_And then...horror of all horrors! _

_He **saw** her!_

_She knew he had seen her, for when he turned in her direction, his eyebrows had shifted upwards, and he started to advance towards her! Scrambling to her feet, she ran back into her room, and plopped herself down in her crib. Perhaps if he walked in here, her father would follow! And then...then she could show him! Right in front of this fancy-pants kid!_

_And so she sat there...patiently...until he walked into her room._

_She would always remember the look on his face. It was that of surprise and confusion...it was as though he had not expected to see her there. How on earth could he not know she was there? Surely her father had told this ignorant boy of her existence! She was the von Karma heir! Inwardly heaving a sigh, she decided to get this foolish boy's attention...but...before that, he spoke._

_"H...hi there! I...I'm sorry to intrude-" _

_"Miles." she stated, looking at him like John Smith first looked at Pocahontas...like a savage without the use of language. __If he was going to be in her house, she had better dumb down her intelligence to communicate with him...she was sure he would have a problem, understanding the many intelligent words she knew. She savored the surprised look that crossed his face, and then perked up when she heard the slow **thump** of her father's cane. Her eyes widened and she tried not to let a smile cross her lips as he came into view._

_Manfred von Karma...he looked so...different to her...he looked as though he had aged over twenty years in only a couple of months...he was leaning harder on his cane, she noticed as well...as though he could barely walk straight without its help. But...but...she couldn't believe what happened next._

_"...ah...I had a feeling that by this time you would have discovered my...**daughter**."_

_...where was it?_

_Where was the pride?_

_Where was the swelling of his chest? _

_Why didn't he smile at her?_

_Why didn't he introduce her as his heir? _

_...where was it?_

_All she heard..._

_All she heard was the** disgust**!_

_He...he really wasn't proud of her?_

_And then...the emotion that made her want to beat the boy senseless. It was pity. She saw that pity that crossed Miles Edgeworth's face! Oh how that **infuriated** her! Oh how she **HATED** him! She was not worth pity! She was worth looking upon and trembling in fear! If anyone should be pitied, it was **him!** She wanted to scream that she was the von Karma heir! **NO ONE** should look at her as though she was unfortunate!_

_And then he got the wind knocked out of him. Franziska stood with wide eyes as she watched her father...and a cold chill ran down her spine as she heard his echoing laugh. This wasn't her father! Her father would never hurt a fly...let alone some boy that he had taken in! He was a good man! So why...why did he look at her before he walked away...why did he look at her like he wanted to dispose of her?_

_What had happened to her father?_

_Was this **really** the same man Franziska von Karma had been raised up by?_

_A pang of sympathy rose for the boy...though she still despised him...Franziska didn't bother with the button that would lower the bar on her crib. She merely climbed over it and placed her hand on Miles' shoulder. And just as she was gathering up the strength to slap the boy for his insolence, he said something that touched her freezing heart,_

_"I'm fine...thank you."_

_**What?!**_

_She wasn't there to make sure he was okay! _

_She was ready to **slap** the boy! _

_What a **difficult creature** this boy was! _

_She sat down next to him, her face blank, as her mind raced. What was this boy up to? He was the one who was family-less...yet he treated her like **she **was the orphaned and abandoned one! What a fool, this boy was! _

_Well...perhaps she should try communicating with him again..._

_Franziska caught Miles' attention, and slowly pointed to herself, speaking while she spoke,_

_"Franziska."_

* * *

_She awoke in the middle of that night...not knowing what woke her up. Perhaps a nightmare about that stupid boy...infernal thing...she was sure **he** was sleeping better than **she** was! But try as she might, Franziska could not fall back asleep...so she called for Diana._

_"DIANAAAA!" she shouted from her room, waiting for the customary rushing footsteps...but she heard none._

_"D-DIANA!" she called again...but even after waiting ten minutes...no one came..._

_The raven-haired, blue-eyed, woman did not show her face..._

_This worried Franziska. She remembered how Diana had acted on the phone with her father...if her father had really changed that much...would he really...?_

_The child climbed out of her crib, luckily not snagging the nightgown she was wearing, and crept down the stairs slowly..._

_...one..._

_...foot..._

_...at..._

_...a..._

_...ti-_

_She paused in mid-step as the sound of something shattering reached her ears, and then two voices...her father's...and Diana's!_

_Franziska ran down the rest of the stairs, and saw light shining through the study doors...she sat near the door, and listened..._

_"You had **no** right to do that to her! I've played this charade long enough, Manfred!"_

_"You and I had an **AGREEMENT** Diana! You can't back out of it **NOW**!"_

_"Oh really?! I certainly **can!** Especially if I take her with me! You wouldn't care! You've got that boy now! Isn't that what you **WANTED**, Manfred?! Didn't you **want** a boy to carry on your '**empire**'? Because you have no **faith** in her!"_

_"She's **weak, **Diana! She's just a **weak, girl! I HAVE NO TIME FOR THAT!**"_

_"You had time enough for **me**. **Twice.**"_

_"...don't bring that up, Diana."_

_"How do you think you ended up with **two** children, Manfred?! **MAGIC!?"**_

_"I don't have time to appease your emotions over a **fling**, Diana!"_

_"You bastard...how DARE you call this some stupid **FLING! **She is ou-"_

_"SHE IS **YOUR** BASTARD DAUGHTER, AND YOU CAN TAKE HER **OUT OF HERE**! I HAVE NO PLACE FOR WOMEN IN **MY** HOME!"_

_"Even if I **WANTED** to take her away, you wouldn't let me, and you **KNOW** IT! WHY DO YOU THINK I'M HERE?! Do you think I like suffering like this? Do you think I **enjoy **not being able to tell her the _**_truth?! SHE'S NOT MY DAUGHTER, MANFRED! SHE'S YOURS! THAT'S ALL SHE'LL_ EVER** _**KNOW!**"_

_"...get out of my sight, Diana."_

_"You can't threaten **me** any longer, Manfred."_

_There was a loud snap, a cry, and then a thud...and Manfred von Karma's voice filled the air, as Franziska looked slightly to see what was happening...to her absolute horror...Her father was pulling the woman up by her hair, and she had a large red mark on her face. The cane lay on the floor, and several broken vases littered the floor. _

_"...Weibchen. You're nothing but a useless woman..." he growled, pulling Diana to her feet, as she gritted her teeth against the pain, letting out a gasping hiss every once in a while. _

_"...you...you'll never understand **her potential**." Diana retorted back, yanking herself away from the brutish man. She pressed her hand hard against his shoulder, and he gasped in pain, retreating slightly. "...that girl **worships** you, Manfred...and you want to throw her **away **like yesterday's newspaper! At least she knows who you are! I had to dye my hair in order for her not to ask why I had hair the **same color as hers**! And she'll **NEVER KNOW ME!" **Diana wrenched her hand away from Manfred's shoulder, as he collapsed in a chair, gasping for breath. The one time she had bested him..._

_"I agreed to stay with you through the Cruss scandel...I **loved** you! You! You who did all those horrible **things!** And then when she came into this world, I agreed not to be a part of her life...but I **can't** live like this! Not any more! I'm not standing by and watching you abuse her mentally! She has so much that she could do! She studied that book so hard, I thought her **eyes** were going to fall out of their sockets! And she did it because she wanted to impress you...the man who **never wanted her**..." _

_"...**get** **out, Diana." **Manfred stated coldly, gesturing towards the door. _

_Diana looked in his direction sadly...and then walked out of the study, right into Franziska._

_"F-Franziska! W...What are you doing here?" Diana asked with wide eyes, picking the child up._

_"...I...I had a nightmare, Diana...do you ever have those?" Franziska whispered._

_Diana looked blankly at the child for a moment, and then wiped away the tears that formed at the corner of her eyes._

_"...Yes...I...I feel like I have those all the time..." she whispered._

_"_


	5. The Beginning of Perfection

_**Vollkommenheit**_

_Chapter 5:_

_**Anfänge der Vollkommenheit**_

**_Author's note: This is _not_ the__ third installment of the Perfection series. But this does follow the same time line as the Perfection series. The title is in German, and is does, in fact, mean perfection. And while the chapter titles will be in German, on the drop down menu, they will be in English. Okay…you know the drill. I don't own Phoenix Wright games or characters…and if I did, I'd be swimming in my own pool of money (which would be shaped like a dollar bill!) But I DO own Diana (pronounced Dee-ahna with a German accent), and Marty Cruss. I'll never abandon my story! Promise! And while you don't have to read Limits or Striving before this...it might help, as some of the flashbacks will be referenced to. _**

**_TO MY REVIEWERS!_**

**_XFireFistAceX: I like the title, but I think there's someone with a title very similar...But that's okay, right? Similar titles have nothing to do with the story itself! Go for it! And I can't wait to read it! Never saw Diana's relationship coming, huh? Then you never would have seen _THIS _coming either!_**

**_Indochine: Why thank you, Indochine!_**

**_Tilea: Ah! So you were right! I tried not to give it away easily, but you figured it out! And I know...I'm REALLY on a roll with this...it's just because the ideas are just bouncing around in my head._**

**_???: No...she's the mother of Franziska's sister, too. That's why Diana said 'twice'. She's a real trooper...huh? Sticking with Manfred for that long..._**

**_AND NOW...ON TO THE STORY!!_**

**_but...before that...grab your tissues! Writing this was a tear-jerker for me!_**

**_Ah, these translations you might need... _**

_Kleine Dame...little lady_

_Ja...yes_

_Auf Wiedersehen...goodbye (formal)_

_Herr...Sir_

_Frau...Mrs. (respectful) _

_Meine Mutter...my mother_

_Es tut mir Leid...I'm sorry_

_Guten tag...good day_

_Nein...no_

_Bitte_..._please_

_Meine Tochter...my daughter_

_Guten Morgen...good morning_

_Vielen Dank...thank you_

_Verlassen Sie mich nicht...don't leave me_

_Lassen Sie mich gehen...let me go_

_Helf mir...help me_

* * *

_She didn't understand._

_Naturally, she figured that everyone fought..._

_But...to be so cruel to some one else..._

_She would never forget when she saw her father grab Diana by her hair._

_Had he really changed that much?_

_He must have. The father she knew would never have done such a thing._

_She slept better after Diana put her to bed...Diana always had such a soothing voice. And while the maid always stated that she did not have a beautiful singing voice, Franziska was always entranced when she sung her a song. Diana, to the child, was the one person she could always depend on. Franziska never believed that the maid would never leave her...Diana had made a promise to her..._

_But despite the argument that Diana and Manfred von Karma had, Franziska had a new challenge to face...and no time to dwell on the (at the time) cryptic argument that she had witnessed._

_And that challenge was Miles Edgeworth.**"Miles Edgeworth! Are you awake?! Answer the door!"** _

_It was 5:02 in the morning, and Franziska was banging on Miles' door. The stupid boy...he hadn't even gotten up yet! He was such a fool! She could have watched and savored in the fact that her father would yell at him...but her father **had** told her that she was to make sure Miles Edgeworth knew the rules of the house. And she was not about to let her father down again._

_No answer from the boy. This called for **drastic** measures._

_She flung the door open in a fury. The lights were still off, and Miles was still asleep in the large bed. Frustrated at his lack of understanding the perfect way in which this household was to be run, Franziska was now determined to take matters into her own hands. The first thing Franziska did, was open one of the large dresser drawers and pull out a pair of underwear, which she immediately rushed to put on top of the bathroom sink. She was silent as she crept back through the room to rummage through Miles' closet. She pulled out khaki trousers, a white shirt, and maroon blazer, and carried them all to his adjoining bathroom, where she let them hang neatly on their hangers from the towel rack. Franziska turned the shower on and let the freezing cold water run as she marched back into Miles' bedroom. _

_No answer still?_

_Well, she would have to fix that!_

_**"OW! What was that for?!"** Miles yelped as he unraveled himself from the tangle of blankets he slept in. _

_Franziska stood over him and smirked at the tiny, red palm print that was left on his face, her hand still raised. The boy rubbed his eyes sleepily, and Franziska scowled at him...he **still** wasn't awake!?_

_"You didn't listen to Father, did you?" she asked irritably, watching as the boy's eyes widened._

_Oh...so he **DID** understand her!_

_Well who would have guessed he could be so intelligent?_

_"Father said that breakfast was to be served at 5:10 A.M." she continued sternly. "**You**, Miles Edgeworth, are to be up at 5:00 **every single morning**. That does not mean you get ten extra minutes of sleep! You are to be up, showered, dressed and **coherent** every single morning! If you are to live in my Father's house, then **you** are to live by the same standards and **rules** of perfection that **we** live by! Now if-"_

_What the...he had fallen asleep **again**?!_

_Franziska narrowed her eyes as she looked at him, her lips curling into a snarl. Her little pudgy hand grabbed a fistful of Miles' hair, and yanked it, before reaching down to grab his hand while he yelped in pain. _

_"I will wake you up one way or another!" Franziska stated as she pulled Miles towards the bathroom, and once in there, proceeded to force him towards the running shower. _

_"All of your clothes are here. You have five minutes before it is 5:10. I would suggest you take the quickest shower of your life, Miles Edgeworth." Franziska advised before storming out of the bathroom and slamming the door behind her. She waited for a moment, standing right by the door, with a look of impatience on her face. It wasn't but several seconds after, that she heard Miles yelp due to the temperature of the water. _

_**"AAH! THAT'S SO COLD!"** _

_If **that** didn't deserve a laugh, she wasn't sure what did. And so she savored her own chuckle at his expense. Now, she was sure she had put the boy in his place in her father's household...in **her** household. Satisfied, Franziska, who was already **naturally** dressed and presentable, walked out of Miles Edgeworth's room, and took her time walking downstairs, where Diana was waiting for her. She wore her usual, cheerful smile...but with the addition of a black eye and a bruise on her righ cheek...she was the only person Franziska would ever feel sympathy for._

_"Guten morgen, Kleine dame." Diana greeted the child with a slight submissive bow of her head._

_"Did you sleep well last night after your nightmare?"_

_"Ja...Vielen Dank, Diana!" Franziska replied, smiling in return._

_The maid picked the child up and held her against her hip as she walked into the dining room, where Manfred von Karma sat, at the very end of a long dining room table, his face hidden by a large newspaper. Franziska could feel Diana's heart racing, and the child gently placed her head against Diana's shoulder for comfort. This must have been encouragement enough, as Diana seemed to steel her resolve, and walked down the length of the table, the ominous man getting closer and closer, until she stood at his side._

_"...Herr von Karma. Your daughter wishes to bid you good morning."_

_Manfred von Karma slowly looked up, irritability showing in his steely eyes. Diana was sure that if she was not holding Franziska, the man might have let loose his temper._

_"Couldn't she have said it from the other end of the table?" he asked gruffly, to the little girl's surprise._

_"Well perhaps if she didn't **care** about you, then maybe she might-"_

_Diana's retort was cut short by Franziska's soft, innocent, child-like voice._

_"Papa...do...do you not love me any more...?"_

_Manfred von Karma frowned, the displeasure etched deep into his finely chisled features. This girl was such a fickle creature...the argument with Diana the night prior had made him realize that no matter how much he trained Miles Edgeworth...that's all he would ever be. Miles would only be **that man's son**. Franziska was the one with the last name of von Karma. And he needed her as well as Miles. If he wanted this child's unbridled loyalty, he was going to have to appease her for this moment...how disgusting..._

_"Franziska, meine tochter...you really think your Papa does not love you any more?" Manfred asked, appealing to the guilty part that still existed in Franziska. He was right on the money...the little girl shrunk back in Diana's arms._

_Of course...how silly of her...of **course** her father still loved her...how could she be so foolish?_

_"N-No, Papa! I know you love me. I'm sorry for asking that...it was foolish of me." Franziska replied softly, while Diana scoffed underneath her breath._

_"Now, sit down and have breakfast." Manfred von Karma stated, gesturing to the far end of the table._

_Loud thumps, that of someone running down the stairs, filled the dining room, and Miles Edgeworth skidded into the room, fully dressed, his still wet hair combed neatly. Manfred von Karma pulled out a pocket watch from his pocket and frowned slightly. "5:10:36. You are thirty-six seconds late, boy. What did I say about this house running like a well-oiled machine?" the tone of voice that had started out as informative, darkened threateningly._

_"...I...I'm sorry, sir! It...It won't happen again!" Miles replied, slightly out of breath. Manfred von Karma studied the boy for a moment, and then gestured to the seat to the right of where he had gestured for Franziska to sit._

_It seemed, this time, he would spare him._

_

* * *

_

**_"Why don't you take Franziska out with you while you go shopping?"_**

_Diana still could not get over the fact that Manfred had given her a large amount of money, and had let her take Franziska, when she went out to get groceries. He had given her free reign...like he cared again...It was like the man she remembered from so long ago. There she was, without her apron...without her black dress...simply wearing a pair of jeans and a white blouse. Her shoulder-length raven hair went long, instead of wearing it in her customary bun...she felt free for the first time in years. Franziska was walking next to her, and holding onto her hand tightly. She wore a white dress that went to her knees, and black mary jane shoes that buckled in the front. On that white dress was a red brooch, and in her hair was a white ribbon._

_"Diana..." Franziska murmured softly, looking up at her maid as they walked down a quiet street._

_"Diana, do you think my Mama and I would have done things like this?"_

_Diana looked down at the child with a surprised expression. Could it have been that she understood that conversation that she had obviously eavesdropped on? The child was unusually smart, that was common knowledge to any one who lived in the von Karma household...or knew Manfred von Karma and his children...so it didn't seem unlikely that she would have asked that question without having an ulterior motive..._

_Should she tell?_

_"Diana?" Franziska asked softly, looking at the woman worriedly when she didn't answer._

_"Oh! Es tut mir Leid, kleine dame!" Diana replied, realizing she had not answered the child. "I suppose, yes, that your Mama and you would have done these things together."_

_"...Diana...you really don't know where my Mama is?" Franziska pushed the subject, with pleading eyes._

_"...Kleine dame...why do you want to find your Mama so badly?" Diana asked, trying to gently laugh the matter off._

_"...because...because I don't know if Papa loves me." Franziska replied sadly, looking down at the concrete._

_This made Diana stop walking, and she looked down at the young girl as she continued to speak. She thought that this conversation had been resolved at the dining room table during breakfast that morning!_

_"...but...but...maybe...maybe if I found my Mama...she would...I would know if she loved me." Franziska looked up at her maid with tear-welling eyes._

_It broke her heart...and her silence._

_Diana bent down and hugged the child, stroking her hair soothingly. "Oh Franziska...your Mama loves you more than life itself..." she whispered, holding the child closer to her._

_"...how...how do you know, Diana?"_

_"...Franziska...it's...because...Franziska...I **am** your Mama..."_

_Silence._

_Shock._

_And slowly, Diana stood up, and let go of the child, who was still standing there as everything in her mind slowly pieced together. Franziska barely heard Diana's call for her to come and follow her, over the mental clicks in her mind, as the last piece of the puzzle pieced together._

_"Franziska?" Diana called, snapping the young child out of her shocked state._

_Franziska looked up and saw Diana...no...her Mama...standing not more than several feet from her. She smiled at the child, and a light wind blew her hair in the breeze, revealing the light-blue tones to her hair that had been hidden when she wore it in a bun._

_Franziska's eyes widened, and it was at time that the whole world seemed to move in slow motion. Diana seemed to slowly turn around and hold her hand out for Franziska to take, as she began slowly walking down the quiet and deserted sidewalk._

_She remembered her legs moving..._

_...so slowly..._

_...remembered her heart beating rapidly..._

_...remembered how the word 'Mama' rolled off of her tongue like it was meant to be there..._

_...remembered how close her hand was to Diana's..._

**_And she remembered the shot that rang out._**

_It came from out of nowhere...and Franziska watched in horror as her mother fell to the ground, a pool of blood forming around her torso._

_She stood frozen in place as she watched Diana gasping for breath. _

_**Another shot**._

_Franziska whimpered and clapped her hand over her mouth as she watched Diana's body jerk, and heard her scream._

**_But she didn't die..._**

**_Another shot_**

**Another shot**

**ANOTHER**

**_ANOTHER_**

_The child was backed up against a store, screaming and crying nonsense...as a nightmare that would haunt her for the rest of her life unfolded before her. She felt helpless...so weak...there was no one in sight...no one to help..._

_But the shots stopped._

_And Franziska, still crying, made her way, slowly, towards her mother...kneeling down on her hands and knees by Diana's face. _

_She was still breathing...clinging to life..._

_"M-Mama!" Franziska didn't recognize her own voice as she cried out. Diana closed her eyes and a satisfied smile appeared on her lips. She was silent, as she reached up and brushed away several of Franziska's tears...leaving a light trail of blood behind._

_"D...don't c...c...cry...Fra...Franzi...Franzis..." she couldn't get her full name out. Franziska shook her head, and held her mother's larger hand in her tiny ones. _

_"Mama! Nein! Mama! Verlassen Sie mich nicht!" she cried, falling back to her native tongue._

_Diana's breath hitched in her throat and she struggled to keep consciousness...she knew what all had happened now...she understood everything...to the end, Manfred von Karma was still the scheming bastard he had always been..._

_"...Fran...Franziska..." Diana called, as her vision began to darken. She turned to look at her daughter...and forced a smile onto her face, using every last ounce of strength she had..._

_"...Meine Tochter..."_

_Exhaling one last breath...her vision ceased...fading to black slowly, centered around the little girl that was clutching onto her._

_And Diana was no more._

_Her eyes, now lifeless and cold, would forever be fixated on the spot where her daughter kneeled. _

_"MAMA! NEIN! MAMA! VERLASSEN SIE MICH NICHT!" Franziska screamed again, shaking the lifeless woman._

_"MAMA! MAMA! HELF MIR!"_

_There was really no point in screaming for help...considering she was on a deserted street...but she prayed that someone would find her..._

_And she didn't wait long._

_Several police cars pulled up to the curb and Franziska watched in amazement as many uniformed men and woman advanced on her. And when she figured out that they were trying to pry her from Diana, oh did she put up a struggle. These people had appeared out of nowhere, and were now trying to take her away? They couldn't do **this!**_

_"MAMA! MAMA! Lassen Sie mich gehen!" She screamed, kicking several officers as she struggled to hold onto her lifeless mother._

_She watched in horror as one officer grabbed Diana's purse, and opened it up, pulling out the large wad of cash that her father had given her..._

_"Found it right here...she had the kid and the cash...Herr von Karma's hunch was right." the officer commented to her comrade, placing the cash into a bag and labeling it. _

_Franziska's eyes widened, and she let go of her mother's hand, too stunned to speak._

_No..._

_No this couldn't be right..._

_**"Looks like she wasn't armed though...well, the point is, we stopped her..."**_

_No..._

_**"Is the girl okay?" "Just a little shaken up, it looks like..."**_

_What they were implying..._

_This wasn't true..._

_The people who were supposed to protect her..._

_No..._

_Did they really shoot her?_

**_"And she was screaming Mama, too? Sad how her mind was warped...every one knows her mother died three years ago..."_**

_No..._

_No! No! _

_They were wrong!_

_Diana **was** her Mama...she would never-_

_"Franziska!" _

_The blue-haired child turned as she was being pulled along by a female police officer. There, in front of her, was her father. He was leaning heavily on his cane, and his hair looked a little mussed. The child became wide-eyed instantly, and she struggled as the officer tried to bring her to Manfred von Karma. _

_"Come on...you're going to your father...don't you want to see him?" the woman asked, feigning cheerfulness._

_"NO!" Franziska screamed, shaking her head in horror._

_**She had figured it out.**_

_Manfred von Karma's eyes narrowed, and he walked over to her himself, wretching the child from the officer._

_"I'll take her...she's probably just reeling from shock." Manfred von Karma stated calmly, pulling Franziska in a crushing embrace._

_Franziska just stared blankly for a moment, and then watched in horror as someone put a white sheet over Diana's body..._

_She narrowed her eyes and clenched her little hands into fists._

_And this...this was the beginning of perfection..._


	6. Her Trials

_**Vollkommenheit**_

_Chapter 5:_

_**Ihre Versuche**_

**_Author's note: This is _not_ the third installment of the Perfection series. But this does follow the same time line as the Perfection series. The title is in German, and is does, in fact, mean perfection. And while the chapter titles will be in German, on the drop down menu, they will be in English. Okay…you know the drill. I don't own Phoenix Wright games or characters…and if I did, I'd be swimming in my own pool of money (which would be shaped like a dollar bill!) But I DO own Diana (pronounced Dee-ahna with a German accent)(RIP...waaaaaaahhhhh! poor Diana!), Adele Etzel, Jakob _****_Dietfried, _****_and Marty Cruss. I'll never abandon my story! Promise! And while you don't have to read Limits or Striving before this...it might help, as some of the flashbacks will be referenced to._ **

**_TO MY REVIEWERS!_**

**_noian: Yeah...it can't get more horrible of a fate than that!_**

**_hachinoko: Thank you, and everything that is in italics is actually flashback...that way you can distinguish present from the past._**

**_Tilea: I know! Poor Franziska! And yes we _do_ agree heavily on Manfred von Karma's personality...he _is_ a psychotic, murderous, sick, son of a...you get the picture. But you know...that personality type makes him the most awesome character I've ever tried to convey._**

**_AND NOW...ON TO THE STORY!!_**

**_Ah, these translations you might need... _**

_Kleine Dame...little lady_

_Ja...yes_

_Auf Wiedersehen...goodbye (formal)_

_Herr...Sir_

_Frau...Mrs. (respectful) _

_Meine Mutter...my mother_

_Es tut mir Leid...I'm sorry_

_Guten tag...good day_

_Nein...no_

_Bitte_..._please_

_Meine Tochter...my daughter_

_Guten Morgen...good morning_

_Vielen Dank...thank you_

_Verlassen Sie mich nicht...don't leave me_

_Lassen Sie mich gehen...let me go_

_Helf mir...help me_

* * *

She never told a soul about that day...they wouldn't believe her...even at three years old, she had known that her father was too influential for people to believe any thing other than what he said. If her father had told them that the earth was flat, chances are that they would have started teaching this in schools again. So if her father had said that her mother had been dead for three years, and that his maid had been brainwashing his child...it was only natural that people believed him. And if he said that the maid had run off with a large sum of money and his child...and that she claimed to be armed and dangerous...why **wouldn't **people believe a _heartbroken, sad, **father**_? 

Once again, she pounded her fists on the desk, not able to convey the emotions that she wanted to. She had then locked up for so long...it was only natural that she would be frustrated with herself, and furious at her father. And then...for the first time since she had slammed the door behind her, Franziska looked up and took in her office. She had been here for several weeks now...flying all the way from Germany to defeat Phoenix Wright...to best her father. She knew **he** couldn't do it...and so with spite in mind, she had come, whip in hand, and stood in that courtroom...

**_...and lost..._**

To her, it was unthinkable...that a man...such a sheepish, foolish, talkative, annoying, slacker of a man, could see the truths in people. Such a wonderful gift had been given to the king of stupidity...oh how it _infuriated_ her! If she, when she was so much younger and naive, had been able to see the truth about her father...perhaps she and her Mama would have been able to live together peacefully...and perhaps the bruises and scars that danced on her body would no longer be there...or they wouldn't be from where they had **really** come from...perhaps she would have been able to live a normal childhood...

...she felt a tear...

Franziska jumped from her seat, as though startled, and wiped the sadness away, looking up and blinking the others away. It didn't work though, and the tears simply streaked down the sides of her face...she let them...closing her eyes, still looking upwards, and letting the tears fall, one by one...the silent release of emotions felt refreshing...she had not cried since leaving Germany. The tightness in her chest slowly eased, as her breath hitched, trying to force out sobs...and perhaps she would have let them out...until there came a knock at her office door, and then **he** came in.

She turned sharply, her eyes red from the tears, and looked directly into his face. He lowered his gaze and shut the door behind him, leaning against it, his arms folded against his chest. She didn't mind showing weakness in front of him, unless she was in the courtroom...then everything was fair game. He had seen her at her worst, after all.

"What do you want?"

"...I came to talk, Franziska."

"What makes you think I want to talk to **you**?"

"...I can't make excuses for my actions, I know-"

"You think? Well at least you're honest. Did you ever think about anyone else when you did that?"

"I was selfish, I know."

"Well thank you for your admission of guilt. Now if you'll please leave my office, I have work to do-"

"...please hear me out."

"...don't grovel. It disgusts me."

"I'm not groveling, I'm demanding."

The last sentence made her eyes narrow dangerously, and she advanced on him, until she was standing directly in front of him, close enough to where she could feel his breath on her skin.

"Don't you** dare** tell me you're demanding anything from me. You may have been father's favorite, Miles Edgeworth, but I **REFUSE** to let you speak to me like he did! Get out of my office! **Now**!"

"...you know I didn't mean it that way, Franziska." Miles replied calmly, grabbing her wrist as she moved to strike him. "...and I refuse to let you try to hit me like your father did. You can't hide behind your mask of perfection forever, Franziska." He allowed Franziska to yank her hand away, and then opened the door and walked out, closing it behind him slowly.

Franziska scowled, and brushed her wrist on her dress. How ironic that he would do the same thing he had always done...

For so many years...he had Franziska in the palm of his hand...he was her only companion...after Diana's death, Franziska reluctantly sought refuge in the arms of her "little brother", as he could keep her safe, when her father started the beatings. And then...just when she was really starting to like him...when she had really started to enjoy his presence in her home...he left. Gone, to America...and Franziska was left in his shadow...left behind. She remembered the way the door closed slowly behind him...and remembered the way her heart broke...because she had opened herself up again...

She was the foolish one.

Mask of perfection...how was it that he always knew?

And when she received news that he was supposed to be dead...her heart broke even more...and she realized that any one she ever got close to, would end up dead. And so she distanced herself...from everyone. Even when he showed up alive and well...apologizing heavily...she refused to acknowledge him...it was for the best. She was tired of being hurt...and she was tired of being lied to. She was flat out tired. Death was nothing to joke about...and yet people continued to wave it in front of her face...

* * *

_"Is the defense ready?"_

_"Yes, your Honor."_

_"Is the prosecution ready?"_

_"Ready and **perfect**, your Honor."_

_She was thirteen. _

_Ten years flew by just by blinking. Ten years of screams, bruises, blood, and tears. Ten years of hard study and dark circles under her eyes. And she had succeeded beyond her father's expectations. She had passed the bar exam on the first try...the perfect prodigy...but now, when he called her his heir, Franziska felt no pride...no joy...just anger and disgust. She hated the man who claimed her to be his daughter. She hated his perfection. _

_It was due to his perfection that she would never get the chance to charge him with the murder of her mother._

_That's right. _

_It was **murder. **_

_And she was going to prove it in court. _

_Today._

_She may not have been able to get her father on it...but she sure as hell wasn't going to let the entire Bitburg Police Force get away with it...and she had one target in mind. _

_**Adele Etzel.**_

_She was the police officer that had shot her mother...and then had gone through Diana's purse and found the cash that Franziska's father had given her._

_She had gone ten years without a guilty conscience...and Franziska was about to make her pay._

_**"The defense's opening statement, if you please."**_

_"Yes, Your Honor." _

_The man at the defense's table was_ _Jakob Dietfried, a veteran defense attorney. He was a tall man, but rather lanky. Having faced her father in court before, Franziska could sense the apprehension that lingered about him, seeing who his opponent was. She smirked in his general direction, giving him a free pass to just drop the case now and let his client get a guilty verdict. For a moment, he looked like considering it...and then Jakob shook his head. Silently, Franziska shrugged, and leaned her cheek on her palm._

_Fine._

_Let the fool have his way._

_She would have this case wrapped up in less than two hours._

_"Adele Etzel is a valued member of the police force...on the day in question, ten years ago exactly, she was acting on orders given to her, and the defense will prove her innocence. This is not a murder, but the simple act of defense to try and protect the little girl that Diana Kunigunde had kidnapped...also known as the prosecution."_

_Low blow._

_Had she not been trained to hide her emotions, she would have jumped at the man._

_Instead she looked at him in a challenging manner._

_Good...this would be a good fight..._

_The judge banged his gavel as the crowd began to murmur and whisper._

_"Order! Order! Ms. von Karma, is this true?" he asked._

_"Well...your Honor, I was hoping to keep bias out of this court...but since the defense wants to bring it up as a low blow, yes Your Honor." she replied smoothly, taking the defense lawyer by surprise. She continued to savor his reaction, as the judge nodded in agreement with her. _

_"You'll have to forgive Herr Dietfried, my dear. He has a large mouth."_

_"Your Honor!" Jakob protested, to which the judge banged his gavel and shook his head._

_"You will refrain from badgering the prosecution, Herr Dietfried. Goodness, not even ten minutes into the trial and I have to give you a penalty? You're dealing with some strict competition here, Jakob."_

_"Y-yes your Honor..." the defense attorney replied through clenched teeth._

_Franziska smiled sweetly back, batting her lashes._

_**Fool.**_


	7. Don't look at me that way

_**Vollkommenheit**_

_Chapter 7:_

_**Schauen Sie mich so nicht an**_

**_Author's note: This is _not_ the third installment of the Perfection series. But this does follow the same time line as the Perfection series. The title is in German, and is does, in fact, mean perfection. And while the chapter titles will be in German, on the drop down menu, they will be in English. Okay…you know the drill. I don't own Phoenix Wright games or characters…and if I did, I'd be swimming in my own pool of money (which would be shaped like a dollar bill!) But I DO own Diana (pronounced Dee-ahna with a German accent)(RIP...waaaaaaahhhhh! poor Diana!), Adele Etzel, Jakob _****_Dietfried, Althea Weber, _****_and Marty Cruss. I'll never abandon my story! Promise! And while you don't have to read Limits or Striving before this...it might help, as some of the flashbacks will be referenced to._ **

**_TO MY REVIEWERS!_**

**_noian: Thanks! I thought I caught that one...ah well, fanfiction is probably being difficult again!_**

**_Indochine: Your reaction is expressed by many...even ME! I feel bad by killing off my own character...yikes..._**

**_Tilea: Haha, it's okay! Just a review lets me know I'm still doing good!_**

**_Auryn Rei Evroren: Thankee! Well, don't hover too much..._**

**_Public-Pervert: Thank you, thank you, thank you! I'm glad someone else also thinks I have Manfred's character down. That makes me happy!_**

**_OOOH! OOH! Vollkommenheit now has a title image to go with it! Go to my profile and look!!! _**

**_AND NOW...ON TO THE STORY!!_**

**_Ah, these translations you might need... _**

_Kleine Dame...little lady_

_Ja...yes_

_Auf Wiedersehen...goodbye (formal)_

_Herr...Sir_

_Frau...Mrs. (respectful) _

_Meine Mutter...my mother_

_Es tut mir Leid...I'm sorry_

_Guten tag...good day_

_Nein...no_

_Bitte_..._please_

_Meine Tochter...my daughter_

_Guten Morgen...good morning_

_Vielen Dank...thank you_

_Verlassen Sie mich nicht...don't leave me_

_Lassen Sie mich gehen...let me go_

_Helf mir...help me_

_Frauline...Miss_

* * *

Naturally, to a child who had just seen her mother shot down in front of her, the world seemed to be a darker and more despairing place...and so was the world to the German prosecutor. Everything seemed to remind her of the woman who had been there for her unknowingly...everything around her seemed to mock the fact that she held the **perfect** life in her hands for a few precious moments. She became the hardened soul that dominated the courtroom, 15 years later...and though her first case would end up as the beginning of her obsession with perfection...it would be for the wrong reasons. 

_"Will the prosecution give their opening statement please?"_

_"Of **course** your Honor." Franziska replied, giving a little curtsy. "Adele Etzel may be a valued member of the police force, but only after making the crucial mistakes she made, has she become so. The defendant in plainly guilty, and the prosecutions plans to prove so."_

_"Your Honor! Don't you see the bias that's going on here?! And besides, the prosecution is already making bogus claims-**OW!**"_

**_CRACK!_**

_Jakob recoiled, holding his arm, staring in shock at the thirteen-year-old, who was holding a whip, glaring back defiantly. _

_"Do **not** assume that my claims are false, Herr Jakob!" she stated, her father's temper flaring up. "Unless there is no proof, a theory cannot be dispelled. **Especially** if it is the truth!"_

_"Y-you have proof? Proof that this ridiculous claim has a shred of conclusive evidence to back it up?" Jakob asked, wide eyed. Franziska put the whip down and wagged her finger in a childishly chiding manner._

_"Herr Jakob...come now. You're up against Franziska von Karma...Manfred von Karma's child, and **perfect** prodigy. You don't **honestly** think that I would take on a case unless my argument was **flawless**, do you?"_

_"...uh...uhm...no...no...of course not." Jakob replied._

_"Now, I'd like to submit the police report for the day in question, **and** the text of the call made to the dispatcher into the court record." Franziska stated, holding up several sheets of paper, watching Jakob's face grow paler and paler._

_"How did you get those? That's confidential information!" Jakob exclaimed, slamming his palms on the desk._

_"You know, did you ever think that labeling a police report as confidential **wouldn't** raise eyebrows or turn heads? **Especially** when it's the **only** police report labeled as such? Don't think me to be an imbecile, Herr Jakob. I **have** my resources." Franziska crossed her arms confidently, ignoring the memories that surfaced momentarily. She had gone through a lot of heartache and personal pain to retrieve those papers..._

_"This seems to make this case even **more** interesting." the judge commented to the court. "It seems as though you know more than you're letting on, Herr Dietfried."_

_The defense attorney winced, stepping back slightly. "N-now that's a **ridiculous** claim, your Honor!" he exclaimed quickly._

_Franziska smirked, and rested her chin on her palm. Perhaps she should knock her time estimate down to an hour..._

_"Will the prosecution call their first witness, please?" the judge questioned, shaking his head slightly._

_"Of **course, **your Honor." Franziska replied._

_A woman in her late fifties or early sixties took the stand. Her hair was silvery pulled tightly into a bun, and round, owl-like glasses adorned her face. Her eyes were a penetrating green, like they could see into the depths of your soul._

_"Witness...state your name and occupation please." Franziska ordered calmly. _

_"Oh...uhm...Althea Weber...I own a flower shop in Bitburg." the woman replied softly._

_"**OBJECTION! What has this woman got to do with ANYTHING?"** Jakob shouted, glaring at the teen prosecutor, who merely sighed in response._

_"Herr Jakob, you have two ears but only one mouth. Try to use them in that proportion." she replied coolly, before motioning for the witness to continue._

_"...I...I was at my window when I saw that **poor, innocent** woman gunned down! Oh horror of all horrors! And that poor little girl! Terrified to death! Oh I felt so horrible that all I could do was watch...! Such a little girl, to watch her mother shot so many time..."_

_Silence permeated the courtroom, and Jakob slowly, looked darkly at Franziska, who had been expecting this. She knew that Jakob had read the same case file she had...but there was an advantage he had. While she had witnessed the shooting, he was the one defending the woman who had **shot** the gun...But **oh**, he didn't know this! He didn't know Franziska had a witness..._

_**"OBJECTION! **According to this police report..." Jakob trailed off and glared harder at Franziska. She had done this on **purpose**!_

_"Herr Jakob, is something the matter?" the judge questioned, raising an eyebrow. "Please finish your objection. If you're going to raise hell about something, you'd better have reason for it. Isn't that the first thing they teach you in law school?"_

_"Y-yes your Honor." the defense attorney muttered through clenched teeth. "...according to the police report...there weren't supposed to **be** any witnesses..." _

_He glared menacingly at Franziska, and slowly exhaled a deep breath before finishing his statement._

_**"...everyone was supposed to have evacuated**."_

_There was a ripple of a murmur through the court, and Franziska smirked deeply to mask the hurt that her heart was feeling. She knew, even as a little girl, that the streets were too quiet for a weekday afternoon...if only she had listened to the little voice inside of her that had scolded her for stopping Diana and asking her those questions..._

_But there was only reality now, and in reality, there no time for those **if only** moments._

_Those were past her now. As painful as it was...she could do no more than avenge the haneous crime that had occurred..._

_Her personal thoughts were interrupted by the sputtering mumblings of the judge._

_"But...but...that sounds like it was a cover up!" the judge exclaimed._

_"**Exactly**." Franziska replied, jumping at the chance to side with the judge. _

_"Now, may my witness continue, Herr Jakob? You are, after all, needlessly interrupting **my** perfect case."_

_"Y...Yes..." the defense attorney muttered, biting down on his lip._

_"Go ahead, witness, and proceed with your testimony. We'd all like to know what you saw." the judge commanded gently, to which Althea nodded in return._

_"Well...I believe it was about one in the afternoon. The streets were rather quiet, so I went to go look out the window to see what was going on. I only saw two people...one woman and a child. They looked rather cute together. It was such a nice day, I decided to get my camera and take some pictures...I was going to enter them in an amateur photography contest that was coming up...that's when I saw it! I saw it all take place! I had never clicked that shutter button so fast...but most of the pictures came out blurry..."_

_The courtroom was shocked into stunned silence. _

_In secret, Franziska balled her hands into fists, and steeled herself for continuation. She had no idea that this would make her so emotional...but the number one rule of her father's teachings...**emotions in the courtroom make a weak prosecutor**. She would not let that rule slip out of her hands. Franziska knew, as it was, she was being scrutinized for being a teen prosecutor...and being a girl...an emotionally stable teenager would never dominate the courtroom like she planned to...there would be no respect left for her. So she swallowed the hard-to-deal-with flood of sorrows and anger that pounded her body. _

_What made this especially hard was the fact that she wasn't even upset by the woman's testimony...but the evidence that went along with it. _

_"The prosecution would like to submit the witness' photograph as evidence." Franziska stated coolly, handing the image to the judge, whose eyes widened. _

_She had expected the reaction._

_That photograph had captured a moment in time that Franziska wished it hadn't._

_There was Diana, laying on the sidewalk, her head leaning so far back that it, in truth, lay in the streets. Her face was contorted in pain, and the gruesome stain of blood covered most of her body. Her eyes were slowly starting to fade to their gray and lifeless existence, but at the time the photograph was taken, there was still a spark of life left. To her right, was a three-year-old Franziska...clutching Diana's hand, her mouth open as if in a scream. Her pretty white dress was smeared with blood, and the bloodstain that Diana had left on her face was evident in the picture._

_But what made this picture so important was not even the two people occupying most of it. It was the fact that on the street opposite, you could see the old, unmarked police cars parked all along the street. When she had seen that, Franziska had about choked on her own sobs, cursing herself for her ignorance. Perhaps if she had seen them..._

_No. _

_No more time for** perhaps**. _

_No time for **what if's. **_

_If she was going to stick to the case, she was going to have to stop battling herself and start battling the man across from her._

_"...Frauline von Karma..."_

_Franziska turned as she was being addressed by the defense attorney. There seemed to be large bags underneath his eyes all of a sudden...and he looked as though he was carrying a rather large burden. She knew what that burden was...it was the truth... She intended to relieve him of it._

_Her eyes stared back at him coolly, and she understood what he wanted. _

_Quickly, she turned to the judge._

_"Your Honor. The prosecution requests a 20 minute recess."_

_"O-of course, Ms. von Karma. I-is something the matter?" the judge questioned. She was on a roll...he didn't understand why she wanted to stop now._

_"No. Herr Dietfried and I need to speak for a moment." the teen replied, with a nonchalant flick of her hair._

_"V-very well. Court is adjourned for recess." the judge proclaimed, and with the bang of his gavel, Franziska was already halfway out the door._

_

* * *

_

_"You want to make a deal?"_

_"Life in prison without the possibility of parole...she'll get the death sentence if she has one more minute in that courtroom...and you may never get what you're looking for."_

_Franziska eyed the man in front of her warily from behind her desk. Off the record, the two of them were holding Adele Etzel's fate in their hands. Jakob sat in a large leather chair in front of her, and the defendant was outside the office, in the custody of several bailiffs. She wasn't sure she liked this offer...she had wanted Adele to pay the same price her mother had...but it would be less painful for her. It wasn't fair...but extending her suffering over years of being in prison..._

_She weighed her options very carefully._

_Even though this battle would not be won in court, it would still be a win...a conviction...and one she could live with, no doubt. Would her father see it as a win? No...as far as she was concerned, this would be one case that she would never reveal she was involved in. As far as her father knew right now...she was merely being shown around the prosecutor's office...so many miles away...he would have no idea._

_She would have her perfect day in court...but this wasn't going to be it._

_"Tell me what she has to say." Franziska demanded, sitting up straighter and pounding her bare hands against the desk in a resolute manner. "No...better than that...bring her in. I want to hear it from her lips myself."_

_Jakob paused for a moment, and then nodded calmly. "You have every right. As a prosecutor, and a victim." As he turned to leave, he felt a tug on the back of his collar, and he was suddenly yanked backwards. How she got there that fast, he had no clue...for there she stood, as she spun him around, her hand gripped tightly on his tie now. _

_"**DO NOT **think of me as being victimized!" Franziska demanded._

_The defense attorney could feel her trembling hand and see her frame shake. And his face made an expression of sympathy...which earned him a slap to the face._

_Of course._

_Never show sympathy to a von Karma. Even this girl...this scrawny, yet highly intelligent teenage girl...the girl who amazed the world by becoming the world's youngest prosecutor..._

_No matter how you looked at it...she was still a von Karma._

_"**Don't you DARE look at ME that way!"** her voice was cracking; her facade was falling down rapidly._

_A von Karma she was...but a girl hurt by the loss of her mother...she was that also..._

_Loosening her grip on his tie, he pulled himself free and stood across from her...carefully scrutinizing her...she only stared back with challenging eyes. Jakob would not let any more of her walls fall down...the expression reflected in her eyes begged him to leave her be. So he did._

_"I'll be back with Frau Etzel in a short moment." he stated, walking to the door and shutting it hard behind him._


	8. Toll of the Truth

_**Vollkommenheit**_

_Chapter 8:_

_**Zoll von der Wahrheit**_

**_Author's note: This is _not_ the third installment of the Perfection series. But this does follow the same time line as the Perfection series. The title is in German, and is does, in fact, mean perfection. And while the chapter titles will be in German, on the drop down menu, they will be in English. Okay…you know the drill. I don't own Phoenix Wright games or characters…and if I did, I'd be swimming in my own pool of money (which would be shaped like a dollar bill!) But I DO own Diana (pronounced Dee-ahna with a German accent)(RIP...waaaaaaahhhhh! poor Diana!), Adele Etzel, Jakob _****_Dietfried, Althea Weber, _****_and Marty Cruss. I'll never abandon my story! Promise! And while you don't have to read Limits or Striving before this...it might help, as some of the flashbacks will be referenced to._ **

**_TO MY REVIEWERS!_**

**_noian: Meh, my computer just doesn't seem to like me! I keep making errors! Thank you, and the suspense will rise! Muahahahah!_**

**_Tilea: Wow! I know, I feel the same way! I thought _I_ was an over achiever! Then I read about Franziska and I was like...what the...she IS a genius!_**

**_Indochine: Thanks so much!_**

**_OOOH! OOH! Vollkommenheit now has a title image to go with it! Go to my profile and look!!! _**

**_AND NOW...ON TO THE STORY!!_**

**_Ah, these translations you might need... _**

_Kleine Dame...little lady_

_Ja...yes_

_Auf Wiedersehen...goodbye (formal)_

_Herr...Sir_

_Frau...Mrs. (respectful) _

_Meine Mutter...my mother_

_Es tut mir Leid...I'm sorry_

_Guten tag...good day_

_Nein...no_

_Bitte_..._please_

_Meine Tochter...my daughter_

_Guten Morgen...good morning_

_Vielen Dank...thank you_

_Verlassen Sie mich nicht...don't leave me_

_Lassen Sie mich gehen...let me go_

_Helf mir...help me_

_Frauline...Miss_

_Meine Gott...My God_

* * *

It had been the hardest moment in her life...to finally face the killer who had shot her mother without question...even now, five years later, looking back on her own memories, she still felt the twinges of pain and horror that had enveloped her body at the time. Now neatly tucked away in a file, somewhere in her filing cabinet back in Germany...she had tried so hard to sever the attachment she had to the case...to neatly cut the cords of emotion and tuck them away in her memory, never to find them again...but it didn't happen. She couldn't bring herself to...life was cruel enough to remind her of everything that she had lost. 

_She had composed herself in record time._

_By the time that Adele Etzel came into the office, her hands free from handcuffs, along with Jakob Dietfried..., Franziska was sitting back at her desk, her hands folded and her expression unreadable. The two sat down in chairs in front of the desk, silently. The air in the room was tense and angry. This was the first time, since the incident exactly ten years ago, that the blue-haired woman had seen the police officer. Her light blonde-hair was pulled back into a messy bun...she looked to be about thirty five years old...but the bags underneath her eyes from lack of sleep and worry made her look much older. Her face had taken on a grayish color...sunken in and miserable._

_**Franziska loved it.**_

_Sadistic, the girl was not...but she was certainly one for exacting revenge. And to her, the toll of the truth was affecting Frau Etzel rather well._

_"...Frau Etzel...I take it Herr Jakob has told you what your options are." Franziska stated, starting off the conversation in a business-like manner. She would save her anger for later...now, she just wanted to woman to plead guilty and tell her what happened on that day..._

_"Ja." The woman replied calmly and indifferently._

_"...and? Have you made your choice?" the teenager questioned, sitting up a little straighter and narrowing her eyes more._

_"...you can't convict me...no one will believe you. If you read that police report thoroughly, it even says that you weren't of sound mind...that **that woman** warped your mind. Why on earth do you think I **wouldn't** want to march back there, into that courtroom? I have just as much of a chance in there as any one does." the police-woman stated haughtily._

_Franziska blinked in stunned silence before letting a smirk appear at the corner of her mouth...and she began to laugh. Shaking her head and letting loose that laugh that sounded eerily like her father's...it was that **I-know-something-you-don't-know!-**laugh. And if one had added that sing-song voice over top of the laughter, it would make anyone's hair on the back on their neck stand up straight._

_"W-what's so funny?" Adele asked, shuddering._

_Franziska stopped abruptly and slammed her palms on the desk, glaring at the woman. There was an exchange of emotion on that one glance, where two sets of eyes met, and souls were searched briefly. Tearing her gaze away, Franziska reached down to a pull an envelope out of a small slit in her desk. She opened it up and pulled out a piece of paper with percentages, graphs, and something circled in red pen at the bottom. Slowly, Franziska looked back up and slid the paper forward, towards Jakob, who took it with great care._

_"...Frau Etzel..." the defense attorney began slowly, his eyes widening as he brought the paper up to his vision._

_"...that defense won't work...and I refuse to use it."_

_"**WHAT?" **Adele cried, turning to her attorney._

_"...but if you plan on representing yourself...let me know. I'd love to be in the stands when Frauline von Karma pulls out this piece of evidence." the man continued calmly, turning to his client._

_The rapidly paling woman turned to the teenage prosecutor, who still sat with a smug look on her face...but there was still emotion in her eyes that reflected whatever that paper had on it._

_"...what...what does that paper say?" the defendant asked, swallowing hard._

_Oh...oh how she had been waiting for this moment!_

_She would never be able to prove it to anyone else...especially the man she wished to show it to..._

_But now...now she could bask in the fact that she had been right all along/_

_"**That**, Frau Etzel, is what I love about science. It is the results of a DNA test." the prosecutor stated calmly, reveling in the panic that the woman showed._

_"...no...that can't be true...you...you were brainwashed by that woman..." Adele stated, her angry voice attempting to mask the fear._

_"Oh, but it is! You know...when I passed the bar exam and I was hired here...I had to go through a routine background check, let them take hair samples, take my fingerprints...even give them a DNA sample...and you know what? Something rather interesting came up on it!" Franziska stated, her smirk widening. While it caused her great pleasure to watch this woman squirm...the teenager only wished that it was her father that she was interrogating...but she would never be able to catch him on it...she knew that. _

_Her father was perfect._

_"It stated," she continued. "That half of my DNA comes from my father...Manfred von Karma...whose records are naturally, on file here. And **then**, like it says...right that on that nice little piece of paper...that the other half of my DNA matches that of a victim's...do you want to guess what her name was? Or do I **really **have to spell it out for you, Adele Etzel?"_

_"...Meine Gott..." Adele whispered, clapping a hand over her mouth. "Then...then you really knew-"_

_"I'm not interested in your speculations, Frau Etzel. I merely want the truth. I want to know what happened...I want the reason why I shouldn't march you right back into court and get you a death sentence!" Franziska interrupted, pounding her fists on the oak desk._

_This caught the police officer's attention, and if it was possible, the woman seemed to turn as white as a sheet. This was it...the last chance that Franziska von Karma was offering. If it was to be called a chance at all..._

_To say that the room was filled to the brim with high tensions would be an understatement. There was Franziska, teeth clenched and her fists weighing heavy on the desk. Her composure was all gone, and all that was left was that of a ruthless prosecutor, hell-bent on finally finding out the truth. It was a terrifying sight for the defendant, who had shrunk back in her chair...her hair falling out of its already messy bun...falling down over her face in wispy, flimsy little pieces; but not so much as to where Franziska could not read her emotions clearly. And then, there was Jakob. The defense attorney was sitting straight, shocked into stunned silence. He hadn't believed that Franziska really had this sort of proof...but now...with this new piece of evidence...she had her case won. It was over for Adele...he knew this much._

_"Frau Etzel..." Jakob began slowly, turning to the terrified woman. "As your attorney...I suggest you tell Frauline von Karma everything that you know. I would hate for you to make the wrong choice and decide to go back to trial. You would lose your life in an instant."_

_"Y-you can't be serious..." Adele whispered, turning at first to Jakob, and then to Franziska. Both had stoic expressions engraved in their features...she would receive no sympathy from either party. It seemed she was at a loss..._

_"...all right...I'll talk..." Adele whispered, hanging her head and exhaling a deep breath._

_"...before you do...we need to inform the judge that this case will be settled outside of court." Jakob stated calmly, turning to Franziska, who looked a little hesitant...and then nodded. "You're right, Herr Dietfried." she replied, standing up. _

_"Frau Etzel...you're a sensible woman...I take it we can leave you here with a bailiff outside the door and you won't do anything stupid?" the defense attorney questioned, looking at his client, who, looking defeated, nodded slowly._

Franziska would have done anything in her power...had she known how it was going to turn out in the end...she would have done anything to stop Jakob from his foolish idea...but he, just like she did, had absolute faith in the police officer...they knew she had nothing else going for her, so she would merely tell them the truth...and then she could live out the rest of her days behind the prison walls...like every other convicted criminal...

_"So it's being settled outside of court?"_

_"Yes, Your Honor." Franziska and Jakob replied simultaneously, as they stood in the judge's chambers._

_"Well, I have to say that I'm rather relieved...I knew what this was going to turn out to be...and I'd hate to hand down a death sentence..." the judge replied, running a hand through his thinning white hair. "Well...you two have a woman's fate in your hands now...I would go see to it that you create whatever punishment is necessary for her crime."_

_"Thank you, Your Honor." Franziska stated, turning on the heel of her boot to leave the room._

Then again, Adele Etzel was not like every other convicted criminal...she was a police officer...some one who was supposed to protect and serve those in need...there was a sense of pride that went along with the job...and being a person who had never wanted to intentionally kill someone...she had been cruelly used. Franziska could never have predicted the sight that her eyes fell upon those five years ago...was it part of the nightmares that haunted her memory at night?

_"Anything happen while we were gone, bailiff?" Jakob questioned, as Franziska briskly walked past the tall and stern man that was guarding her office. She never heard his answer...as she opened the door, Franziska had to stabilize herself against the door frame when that sight fell upon her eyes. _

_There she was...hanging from the ceiling fan that was above one of the chairs. Her dull and lifeless eyes were fixated on the door, right at Franziska..._

_"**Meine Gott..." **_

_Franziska felt a strong pair of arms wrap around her waist, and felt herself being pulled back to her feet by the defense attorney. It was Jakob, who somehow still kept his composure, who had whispered in horror, helping Franziska to stand straight. In his eyes, it would be a terrifying thing to walk into a room and find a corpse staring right at you. _

_"Frauline, are you all right?" the man asked, looking at the teenager worriedly._

_Neither one of them could have predicted this could happen...Franziska could feel her heart shattering for the second time. All secrets had died along with Adele Etzel...anything she had ever wanted to know about her mother's death...she would never be able to find it out..._

_"...no..." Franziska whispered hoarsely, her hand gripping tightly onto the door frame._

_"...not after all this time...not after all this work..." she shook her head, and her eyes cried out...pleading silently._

_Whatever the prosecutor had hoped to obtain...it was all gone now._


	9. Lonesome Beauty

_**Vollkommenheit**_

_Chapter 9:_

_**Einsame Schönheit**_

**_Author's note: This is _not_ the third installment of the Perfection series. But this does follow the same time line as the Perfection series. The title is in German, and is does, in fact, mean perfection. And while the chapter titles will be in German, on the drop down menu, they will be in English. Okay…you know the drill. I don't own Phoenix Wright games or characters…and if I did, I'd be swimming in my own pool of money (which would be shaped like a dollar bill!) But I DO own Diana (pronounced Dee-ahna with a German accent)(RIP...waaaaaaahhhhh! poor Diana!), Adele Etzel, Jakob _****_Dietfried, Althea Weber, _****_and Marty Cruss. I'll never abandon my story! Promise! And while you don't have to read Limits or Striving before this...it might help, as some of the flashbacks will be referenced to._ **

**_TO MY REVIEWERS!_**

**_PublicPervert: Yeah, I know. But it was pretty surprising, huh?_**

**_DarkPrincess128: THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for your encouraging reviews! Reviews like that make it all worth writing!_**

**_Tilea: Thanks! I know...it is really sad...but I really had to come up with some reasons why Franziska would keep herself so cold and distant._**

**_noian: Hahah, what suspense! Muahahahah!_**

**_Auryn Rei Evroren: Thank you soooo much!_**

**_OOOH! OOH! Vollkommenheit now has a title image to go with it! Go to my profile and look!!! _**

**_AND NOW...ON TO THE STORY!!_**

**_Ah, these translations you might need... _**

_Kleine Dame...little lady_

_Ja...yes_

_Auf Wiedersehen...goodbye (formal)_

_Herr...Sir_

_Frau...Mrs. (respectful) _

_Meine Mutter...my mother_

_Es tut mir Leid...I'm sorry_

_Guten tag...good day_

_Nein...no_

_Bitte_..._please_

_Meine Tochter...my daughter_

_Guten Morgen...good morning_

_Vielen Dank...thank you_

_Verlassen Sie mich nicht...don't leave me_

_Lassen Sie mich gehen...let me go_

_Helf mir...help me_

_Frauline...Miss_

_Meine Gott...My God_

**The song Homeless Heart is by Bryan Rice**

**(This chapter is even better if you listen to the song while reading it! I know it's on Youtube...that's where I found it!)**

**This chapter is going to switch back between past and present...get ready to do some serious reading! And the drinking law in Germany is 17 (but it used to be 16...probably about the time Franziska was such)! I used to live there, so I know this for sure! Nothing like living in a country to get good references, right?**

* * *

She moved to a different office that day...not even the newest of prosecutors had ever gotten that office, either.

No one wanted anything to do with the place that had been the scene of Adele Etzel's suicide.

It was bitter irony, Franziska supposed, that Miles had prosecuted a case in America that same week...with practically the same results. She felt immense sympathy for him...for having to watch the defendant, Terry Fawles die on the stand...she knew she wouldn't have been able to handle it. But did she tell him that? No. Her response was that of a cold, and calculating woman that her father would have been proud of. She told him that she had hoped he remembered this case and that he was a fool for letting an obviously guilty man die right there on the stand...that it **served him right**.

_Enough remembering for one day..._

Franziska looked at her watch and sighed softly...she would have no sleep tonight...now that she had wasted valuable time thinking about her past...she would have to finish up the Engarde case at home.

Home...

This temporary place to live...

**_Lonesome beauty  
With a crowd around you  
I see who you are_**

Franziska walked back to her desk and picked up a large folder with dozens of papers sticking out of it. With her whip in one hand, and the folder in another, she turned towards the door, attempting to open it with her full hands. She needed no help...she could do it just fine on her own. Franziska managed to open it slightly, and then kicked the door open the rest of the way, making a loud noise that startled every one else in the office. As she turned to attempt to close the door, she cursed inwardly...there were people watching her now...and as their eyes rested on her, they could watch her struggle...

A hand reached out and closed the door for her.

The German woman looked up in contempt into the eyes of Miles Edgeworth. He stood over her, an emotionless expression written on his lips. There was no sympathy or guilt in his eyes...just a challenging fire that merely, silently, asked her to prove he acted out of kindness. She could not argue with him. If she did, she would seem foolish...the last thing she wanted was to gain a reputation of someone who argued for no reason. So she would pass on this battle.

"...do you want something?" she questioned calmly, holding the file to her chest as she began to turn away. She didn't expect him to answer her...she merely expected him to melt away into the existence of nothingness like he always did. Why should he change his ways now?

"...join me for dinner."

"Hah?" Franziska questioned, spinning around, surprised. The light-blue-haired woman nearly dropped her papers at the request. She studied her little brother carefully...there was something that seemed to have changed him in those years that they had been separated...what was it? She longed to know...he seemed to have lost that spark for victory in life that she admired...he was not a von Karma student...a true pupil of her father's teaching would have kept that drive...This man...so weak...running away...pretending to die...thinking that his very existence would not be missed...

Well...it certainly wouldn't have been...she could have dealt fine without him.

_"...what time?"_

Franziska blinked several times...was that her own voice? Did she just say that? She hadn't agreed to anything! Her mouth seemed to act for her. Well...she was stuck now. She wasn't going to tell Miles that she didn't say that...she was most certainly standing there...talking to him.

**_You joke, they laugh  
Till the show is over  
Then you fall so hard_**

"Now." Miles replied calmly, holding up his car keys and motioning towards the door. Of course...they would have to take the stairs down...but Franziska would indulge him...for the moment being...at least she didn't have to walk home tonight. Wordlessly, the German woman walked past him, towards the stairs...she wouldn't let him know that he had won what she knew was precious to him...a time slot in her life...

Franziska von Karma did not make time for people...people made time for her...that was simply the way things worked...and now Miles Edgeworth seemed to have succeeded in creating the perfect opportunity to speak with her. She would have to listen to him if he was buying her dinner...he was a tricky one...she **despised** him for this reason.

* * *

_"Well...you look...like you're doing well."_

_"Don't act so dumbstruck. I'm a woman you know...I'm going to change a little."_

_"How have you been fairing since..."_

_"Do we have to talk about that? You take me out to dinner and then want to talk about **that**? You risk a lot of laws doing this, you know."_

_"We're two employees, having dinner. What's wrong with that?"_

_"Well, let's see...if you get any friendlier, you break a statutory law, and we're technically committing a taboo by even being out here together since we work together."_

_"**Against each other**, you mean. You're a prosecutor...I'm a defense attorney...we don't exactly chat over the water cooler, you know."_

_"...well I have to admit, you have a point, Herr Dietfried."_

_Bringing the crystal wine glass to her lips, Franziska looked across the table at the defense attorney she had known for three years. The age difference was large, yes, but there was no doubt that the only feelings the two of them had were just those of good friends. Now sixteen, the prosecutor had certainly changed from the last time they had met in court. Being the only one to have seen her weak side, Franziska kept the man in close contact...but it had resulted in a close friendship instead._

_Tonight had been the first time they had really seen each other since that incident that had haunted Franziska's memories. If he was in the middle of a case, Franziska would casually drop by and look in on him, but leave before he could see her in the stands. She had the feeling he did the same for her too...there were moments where she felt eyes briefly on her. Contact usually came by phone, or a simple message scrawled on a piece of paper, to simply say hello. For the first time, Franziska felt like there was someone in her life who had cared about her. _

**_If you're needing  
A soul-to-soul connection  
I'll run to your side_**

_Her own father, by this time, had been convicted of the murder of Miles' father...while she never looked up to Manfred von Karma...while she inwardly bitterly denied her relation to him, she was still his daughter...hah, but some father **he** was. Miles...well...Miles was dead. According to the note he left that the police found...he had committed suicide. Another one who had been important to her had left her...gone off and died..._

_"...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." Jakob commented softly, gently swishing his own glass of red wine in his hand before taking a small sip._

_Franziska looked up and set her glass down, ignoring the red lipstick mark she had left on it. "Why would you think you've upset me?" she questioned in reply, her eyes earnest._

_"You became awfully quiet all of a sudden."_

_"I suppose I was thinking."

* * *

_"What are you thinking about, Franziska?"

The German woman looked up lazily into Miles' eyes. She really hadn't realized that she had drifted off...and gained her composure quickly; that lazy look gone from her blue-gray eyes, and one of sharp determination replaced it.

"What gives you the notion that I was thinking?" she demanded, before taking a drink of water.

"...you haven't been listening to a word I said. Here I've been trying to talk to you about this case and you've just sat there, staring off at that white tablecloth on the table diagonally from us." Miles replied gently, running his hand through his hair. _**"And you don't have to put up that facade, Franziska...it's just me...I've seen you through everything that you've been through...you could at least pretend to be you tonight."**_

The silverware clattered on the table as Franziska pounded her fists on it. How **dare** he claim that he had always been there and seen her though! He had no **idea** what sort of hell her life had been, before, and after he left her!

"Don't you **dare** claim that! You've **never..._never_** been there for me!" she hissed angerly, to Miles' surprise. She could tell he really had no idea of what her life had been like...that look on his face was that of hurt and shock...for a moment, she almost recanted her statement. But her mind cursed at her for the thought. She was a von Karma...and Miles Edgeworth knew this...whatever she said, he should have been able to take it calmly, and not show his emotions...

Dear god, he was weak...why did her Papa favor him so?

**_When you're lost in the dark  
When you're out in the cold_**

* * *

_"Thinking? Is it your father? I heard what happened...I'm so sorry-"_

_"**Don't** apologize." Franziska stated abruptly, with a flick of her shoulder-length hair. _

**_When you're looking for something  
That resembles your soul _**

_"I thought...I thought you admired him." Jakob admitted, honestly surprised at the prosecutor's statement._

_"**You thought wrong**." Franziska replied coldly. "I think no more of him then when you squish a spider. He is a fleeting thought, and nothing more. I merely bare his last name...I bare none of him."_

_The defense attorney paused thoughtfully before shaking his head in response. He placed his glass down on the table, and looked directly into the German teenager's eyes as he spoke. His words were crisp and clear, and each one hurt painfully as the next...for they were undesirably true._

_"You're wrong, Frauline von Karma." Jakob started calmly, lowering his voice so that no one else could hear what he was saying._

_"You are **more** like your father every time that I see you. The first time we met...you had his determination...his ferocity and drive...The way you presented evidence...that mocking laugh you had. Meine Gott...it was like looking into a mirror. You have no idea what having the name von Karma means to the law world...it gives you a straight pass to win any court case, hands down."_

**_When the wind blows your house of cards _**

_The slap came quickly and mercilessly. Gasps and murmurs filled the restaurant. Franziska stood over the man, whose head was down...enough to where his expression was unreadable...Her napkin thrown to the ground, and her hand raised from when she had slapped him, Franziska's eyes raged with fury. _

_"Good night, Herr Dietfried. And **goodbye!**" _

* * *

"...You're right, Franziska. I really haven't been there..." 

Miles confession brought Franziska back to reality. Her eyes widened and a soft gasp was emitted from her lips. He...he understood? Was it possible that he had not been the one who had changed, but herself? No. No that was impossible...her life had merely shaped who she was. She would never be the same Franziska von Karma that Miles Edgeworth knew when he left with her father.

When he left her alone.

Maybe one day she would have the courage to tell him how she really felt about him...but for now...all she could do was think of all of the things she wished to tell this man in front of her.

"...You...I know you've been through a lot...but..." Franziska gasped again as Miles reached across the table, and gently lifted her chin to look her in the eyes. There was a connection there for a single moment...and for a split second...it felt like a bolt of lightning had ripped through her body. And then that look was gone...gone from Miles Edgeworth's eyes...and merely replaced a look of sternness and a confident coolness. She stared back just as hard. She could play this game too.

"...if you ever need to talk to me...my office is next to yours, you know." Miles replied, moving his hand away, and taking a drink of water.

**_I'll be a home to your homeless heart_**


	10. My Little Brother

_**Vollkommenheit**_

_Chapter 10:_

_**Mein kleiner Bruder**_

**_Author's note: This is _not_ the third installment of the Perfection series. But this does follow the same time line as the Perfection series. The title is in German, and is does, in fact, mean perfection. And while the chapter titles will be in German, on the drop down menu, they will be in English. Okay…you know the drill. I don't own Phoenix Wright games or characters…and if I did, I'd be swimming in my own pool of money (which would be shaped like a dollar bill!) But I DO own Diana (pronounced Dee-ahna with a German accent)(RIP...waaaaaaahhhhh! poor Diana!), Adele Etzel, Jakob _****_Dietfried, Althea Weber, _****_and Marty Cruss. I'll never abandon my story! Promise! And while you don't have to read Limits or Striving before this...it might help, as some of the flashbacks will be referenced to._ **

**_TO MY REVIEWERS!_**

**_Tilea: Thank you! And I really do like writing this couple...they just have so much depth to them._**

**_Auryn: THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH!_**

**_noian: Thanks! So you think it's my best huh? Good luck on the schoolwork!_**

**_KingdomKeeperSai: Wow, really? Thank you! Have you read my other two stories? They've got Miles X Franziska in them._**

**_OOOH! OOH! Vollkommenheit now has a title image to go with it! Go to my profile and look!!! _**

**_AND NOW...ON TO THE STORY!!_**

**_Ah, these translations you might need... _**

_Kleine Dame...little lady_

_Ja...yes_

_Auf Wiedersehen...goodbye (formal)_

_Herr...Sir_

_Frau...Mrs. (respectful) _

_Meine Mutter...my mother_

_Es tut mir Leid...I'm sorry_

_Guten tag...good day_

_Nein...no_

_Bitte_..._please_

_Meine Tochter...my daughter_

_Guten Morgen...good morning_

_Vielen Dank...thank you_

_Verlassen Sie mich nicht...don't leave me_

_Lassen Sie mich gehen...let me go_

_Helf mir...help me_

_Frauline...Miss_

_Meine Gott...My God_

* * *

She never made it to her apartment that night...Miles Edgeworth had offered up his own apartment to her...if he could even call it an apartment...having the penthouse of the huge apartment building...it was big enough to be a house all by itself...having a spare bedroom and several rooms that Franziska didn't even associate as being in an apartment. She took up his gracious offer...it was, after all, the least he could do considering he had been out of her life for so long. He told her that he had planned to watch her prosecute the trial tomorrow...and if that was true...this mean that she would need all the rest she could get...and less worry about her safety in that apartment of hers...and being to the rtial on time. If Miles didn't take her...she could **very** easily walk. It was only just a block or two away from the courthouse. And so, as she settled into a strange bed...she may have closed her eyes...but she did not sleep. Instead...she listened to the sound of footsteps on the carpet around the apartment. It was...strangely enough, it was soothing. Instead of laying awake all night, listening to the sound of a creaking house...scared out of her mind because she was alone...now...now she didn't feel guilty as she succumbed to a gentle slumber. And...was that the smell of oranges? A gentle breeze of the scented and flavored tea filled her senses...the scent wafted through the house...so comforting and soothing...Perhaps she would have some of that to drink during breakfast...it would certainly calm her nerves about the Engarde case... 

_She curled herself up in a ball...her legs pulled up to her chest. Her bedsheets did not feel comforting...there was too much pain to endure...Franziska could not believe this...she couldn't believe this had happened to her. Letting the stinging tears fall down her face, if Franziska had not been always aware of the soft creaks that her door made, she never would have realized that an 11-year-old Miles Edgeworth had entered her room. Her head snapped up sharply, and eyes met dangerously...and then Miles Edgeworth let out a gasp._

_"Franziska! Y-your eye! What happened?"_

_It was black and blue...swollen and painful...the area around it was red and inflamed. She wouldn't tell him how it happened, though. She would never reveal the horrible secret that she had horrifically discovered. He, though a stranger in her house, did not deserve it. Besides...she learned quickly that no one listened to children of her age..._

_"...I fell." she stated simply, forcing herself not to wipe away the tears. _

_"Franziska! That isn't caused by a fall! What happened?" Miles questioned, moving closer to her._

_But she wouldn't tell. She was quiet...her eyes glared at him in a challening manner. __This went on for several minutes until Miles sighed softly and moved to leave._

_"I understand you won't talk to me...and that's okay...but you know...you don't always **have** to talk to me. I could always just sit right here for you...but on the other hand, if you ever **want** to talk to me, I **do** live here now. I'm never to busy to listen to you."_

_He stood up and took several steps forward, until he felt himself being pulled back. Miles turned and saw Franziska had grabbed his shirt in her tiny fist. In her eyes, was a plea...she may not have been able to say it out loud...but as she looked at him, baring her crushed soul to him with that look, her action was returned by a warm and gentle smile, Franziska realized that Miles was true to his word. He moved to her, sitting on her bed, and made a motion with his head to invite her into an embrace. Hesitant at first, like a cat testing out bath water, Franziska moved slowly to Miles...and then finally let him hold her in his arms, her feet dangling over his knees, her head on his shoulder. She could feel him gently stroke her hair in a soothing manner...and she sighed softly and contently. _

_He...was...relaxing..._

Franziska opened her eyes and was greeted by the light coming from the hallway...Miles Edgeworth was standing in the doorway, with a small tray in his hands. On top of that tray were two teacups and several shortbread cookies on small plates. How thoughtful...he had taken that time to brew tea and...he remembered her favorite cookie? Was she wrong? Did he really care about her? Had he really been gone from her life for that long...or was it just the seperation of the two over the years?

"I'm sorry...I didn't realize you had already gone to sleep." Miles apologized gently, setting the tray down on a dresser and walking over to the half-asleep prosecutor. He sat on the edge of her bed, near where she had been laying her head comfortably on a pillow, and looked down at her with a warm smile. "What's so funny?" Franziska questioned softly, moving her head and laying it on Miles' lap, as his hand moved to stroke her hair like he used to when they were younger.

"It's not funny...I was just thinking about how much I really have **missed you**, Franziska." Miles replied, running his fingers through her silky hair. "How much I just missed doing this. Naturally, I'm glad it's under better circumstances...but I didn't realized how much I had missed just holding you when you were little...until you said you'd come here and spend the night. The minute you hit the door...it felt like home should have been."

"Home...**should** have been?" Franziska questioned softly, looking up at her little brother. She was tired...and she had lost all of her sharpness...now, she felt like a little child...like the four-year-old Franziska who had been victim to her father's abuses...like the child who was seeking refuge in the arms of a much stronger Miles Edgeworth. She didn't mind showing her weakness...Miles **had** been right, there was no doubt...that he had seen her at her worst...and she didn't have to put up her walls around him.

"It should have been happy...I wish it had...maybe I wouldn't have left." Miles whispered, almost wistfully, as he continued to stroke Franziska's hair in a soothing manner. Silence drifted in and fell over the room like a soft and transparent veil.

"...do...do you want some tea...or some cookies? I...I remembered you liked shortbread...or...has that changed since we last saw each other?" Miles asked, with a slightly nervous tint to his voice. This almost made Franziska chuckle...and she did inwardly. To think that she, Franziska von Karma, was making this stoic man nervous...it was very laughable.

"...thank you." she whispered gently, turning her head and looking up into the eyes of a slightly surprised prosecutor. "...my...my taste hasn't changed...I **would** like a shortbread cookie or two..."

This...this was the part of Franziska von Karma that no one would ever be priviledged enough to see.

Other than **her** Miles Edgeworth...**her **little brother...she would never reveal this part of herself to anyone else.

This was the gentle side of her that was lost when Diana died...

Miles nodded and as Franziska sat up, he stood and brought the tray over to the bed, placing it in front of Franziska, who held it while Miles slid next to her, stretching out his legs beside hers and placing an arm around her shoulders. The smell of oranges wafted into the room as Franziska picked up the teacup and brought it to her lips. The taste of the warm, orange-flavored tea trickled down her throat like a healing salve...it tasted so good...

Well her little brother certainly had good taste when it came to tea, that was certain.

"...how is it? I'm still working on brewing it right...but most of the time, the tea comes out really good...not too strong and not too weak...is it okay?" Miles questioned, taking a sip of his own cup. The gentle look in Franziska's eyes assured him, and she could practically hear Miles relaxing...ridding himself of the tensions of pleasing his guest.

It was strange...this sense of sheepishness and slight embarrassment that she felt eminating from him...it was like meeting him for the first time all over again...he reflected that boy of ten who had come into her home...was it just her...or were the two of them reverting back to the childhood they longed to have? Was this interaction between the two of them...something that they wished they could have done every day of their lives when they lived in Germany? To live a happy childhood...never worrying about the looming shadow of her father's watchful eye about them?

If she had the energy within her, she could have sat there all night in peaceful silence and eaten those cookies...drinking that tea...just relaxing in his company. But she was exhausted...both physically and emotionally...and she had a trial to deal with tomorrow. And so she nodded off...drifting to sleep against Miles' shoulder, listening to his soft and steady breathing. She could feel his arms encircling her and bringing her closer to him...it was fine for her...he had always been a safe haven...and she admired his strength. He was the impenetrable fortress that held her father away...if Miles was around when her father was vicious...she was barely harmed. Through it...Miles would look down upon her, and smile...still smile through the torturous beatings. For this, Franziska felt it perfectly acceptable to give him the honor of being called her brother.

He deserved it.

_"So...Franziska...what do you do for fun around here?"_

_"...I beg your pardon?"_

_A four-year-old Franziska von Karma looked up from her book with a look of absolute annoyance...and she quirked an eyebrow at Miles' question. There was her little brother, eager to **play**...even though they should be studying! What sort of nonsense was he spouting?_

_"You know...**fun**. Tag...hide-and-go-seek...games!" Miles replied cheerfully, closing his book with a loud **thump**._

_Oh...this was going to be **good**._

_Franziska closed her book gently and stood up from where she was sitting, at the dining room table, across from this naive boy. "Miles Edgeworth...have you any sort of sense whatsoever? Do you **honestly** think that my father would allow such foolishness like **fun**?! This is **not** a house, or a **home, **Miles Edgeworth! It is a well-oiled machine that runs on strict time schedules and perfection. I will **not** tolerate you...no, I will not **allow** you to act in such a foolish manner as to-"_

_Miles tapped Franziska on the shoulder with a devious grin._

_"Tag. You're it."_

_He stayed at the kitchen table long enough to spit out those words...and then ran like the devil was chasing him...which, in a sense was rather true..._

_"THAT'S IT! YOU'RE A **DEAD BOY**, **MILES EDGEWORTH!**" Franziska shouted, slamming her book on the table, pushing her chair in, and racing after the ignorant child, whom she planned on putting in his place._

_His ringing laughter would forever echo in her memory._

The sunlight hit her eyes and she snapped right awake. Had the sun really risen that soon? No...no...there would not be hesitation...not in a von Karma. While the days of waking up at the crack of dawn were long since past her, those rigid rules would never leave her mind...nor would the harsh consequences. When her father had left for America with Miles, Franziska started a habit of waking whenever the sun hit her eyes...and positioned her bed to lay where the sunlight first hit her room...old habits die hard. She cast a glance upward...rather far upward...to see Miles staring down at her, and judging from his alert gaze back, she gauged he had been awake long before her. It was at that moment that she realized she had been sleeping with her head resting on his chest the whole night.

She scoffed and quickly sat up straight, crossing her arms over her chest in a defiant and dangerous gesture. "Why did you let me sleep in?" she asked, tossing her hair slightly.

"You..." Miles paused and gently shook his head. "...I suppose the rules of the von Karma household have escaped me since I started living here in America." he restated quickly, to Franziska's surprise and satisfaction. Well, if he admitted his own mistakes, there was no harm in letting the topic go. She threw the covers off of her and practically lept out of bed.

"I'll be done in an **hour,** Miles Edgeworth. I'll need to be in court in **two**. Make your choices on time wisely." she stated, while walking around the room and grabbing her clothes to throw in the wash.

"I'll be ready, Franziska." Miles replied calmly, pushing the covers off of himself slowly, and smiling in the direction of the prosecutor. Franziska caught the smile, paused for a moment as though wanting to return it...and then, with the turn of her head, and a **'_hmph!_**', she walked off, out of sight.


	11. Shot in the Dark

_**Vollkommenheit**_

_Chapter 11:_

_**Ein Schuss im dunkeln**_

**_Author's note: This is _not_ the third installment of the Perfection series. But this does follow the same time line as the Perfection series. The title is in German, and is does, in fact, mean perfection. And while the chapter titles will be in German, on the drop down menu, they will be in English. Okay…you know the drill. I don't own Phoenix Wright games or characters…and if I did, I'd be swimming in my own pool of money (which would be shaped like a dollar bill!) But I DO own Diana (pronounced Dee-ahna with a German accent)(RIP...waaaaaaahhhhh! poor Diana!), Adele Etzel, Jakob _****_Dietfried, Althea Weber, _****_and Marty Cruss. I'll never abandon my story! Promise! And while you don't have to read Limits or Striving before this...it might help, as some of the flashbacks will be referenced to._ **

**_TO MY REVIEWERS!_**

**_Auryn: I forgive you! And...you know the other reasons for that whole...horror thing._**

**_DarkPrincess128: I was actually thinking Franziska was like...16 1/2 when that scene took place...but that seemed too accurate of a description...and to each their own. I understand your reasoning about Miles and Franziska completely._**

**_Lazy Jenni: Really? Thank you SO much! I really do appreciate your compliments!_**

**_noian: See, I wanted to explore that side of Franziska that I had a feeling would show up when Miles is around. While she's damnably stubborn towards him...there's a part of her that lets down her walls and exteriors around him also. Because that part is more evident when she realizes that Miles _is_ alive and well, I wanted to look at that part...to let it show in her half-awake state._**

**_Tilea: Heehee, I thought it was cute too! It's actually one of the mini-flashbacks that made up Edgeworth's monologue in Striving for Perfection._**

**_KingdomKeeperSai: Awesome! Let me know what you think of the other stories!_**

**_Public-Pervert: You know, I think chapter ten just wasn't my best writing...then again, I HAVE been under the weather lately...oh and those dot thingies? They're called ellipses. _**

**_OOOH! OOH! Vollkommenheit now has a title image to go with it! Go to my profile and look!!! _**

**_AND NOW...ON TO THE STORY!!_**

**_Ah, these translations you might need... _**

_Kleine Dame...little lady_

_Ja...yes_

_Auf Wiedersehen...goodbye (formal)_

_Herr...Sir_

_Frau...Mrs. (respectful) _

_Meine Mutter...my mother_

_Es tut mir Leid...I'm sorry_

_Guten tag...good day_

_Nein...no_

_Bitte_..._please_

_Meine Tochter...my daughter_

_Guten Morgen...good morning_

_Vielen Dank...thank you_

_Verlassen Sie mich nicht...don't leave me_

_Lassen Sie mich gehen...let me go_

_Helf mir...help me_

_Frauline...Miss_

_Meine Gott...My God_

* * *

She barely made her own deadline. At the last minute, she had managed to throw every piece of paper that made up her file on the Engarde case into the folder it had come in, and sling a jacket on, before Miles Edgeworth even made it down the hallway to the front door. And there she stood, casually stealing a glance at her watch as he came into view, adjusting his cravat. 

"You're late." she muttered, a look of displeasure carving its way onto her light features.

Miles looked at her in surprise, and then shook his head in disbelief, exhaling a sigh. "So it's true." he commented with a dark tone and a deep frown. "Children **do** tend to act more like their parents when they get older."

She felt like she had been struck by a heavy blow...as one by one, memories flooded back like sharp, jagged rocks.

_"You are thirty-six seconds late, boy."_

_"Papa...do...do you not love me any more...?"_

_"...Herr von Karma. Your daughter wishes to bid you good morning."_

_"...I...I'm sorry, sir! It...It won't happen again!"_

_"Did you sleep well last night after your nightmare?"_

_"Diana?"_

_"Mama! Nein! Mama! **Verlassen Sie mich nicht**!"_

_"VERLASSEN SIE MICH NICHT!"_

Her hand had instinctively wanted to reach up and cover her mouth in shock and horror...but she learned well. She was stoic on the outside, though on the inside, her mind was tormented and tortured. To keep herself steady, she clenched her hand into a fist, keeping that determined and defiant composure. "You're nothing but a fool, Miles Edgeworth." she stated coldly, turning on her heel, opening the door, and storming out to wait for the prosecutor by his car.

As she leaned up against the front passenger's side window, she exhaled a long deep sigh. There was no way she was going to go into court today like a wreck.**Especially** up against Phoenix Wright. That fool had had his days in court...now...today...it would be her turn. Her turn at last to obtain the revenge she had worked so hard for...only to be shot down by a rookie lawyer and his naive medium assistant. Her thoughts cleared when she heard the sound of footsteps and looked up to see Miles walking casually by her...and **not** towards the car.

"W-what are you doing? Your car is right here!" Franziska snapped, making Miles turn slightly and give his little half-smile. "I thought we'd walk today. I mean, after all, the courthouse **is** only a couple of blocks away." Seeing her infuriated expression, Miles turned more towards Franziska and his gaze darkened. "You're facing Wright, Franziska...you're going to have to multi-task. He's always been one step ahead of you...one step ahead of me. You can't just chew gum and walk...any rookie prosecutor can do that. Walk with me...and let's go over the case. If we ride in that car...there'll only be silence...you'll be working it out in your head...and I'll be concentrating on the road...doing any of those things won't help us."

Now she knew why there were moments when she looked up to him...but he would never know. She would never tell him. These moments of wisdom...it simply reminded Franziska of her own lack of skills...Clutching her whip tightly in her grasp in one hand, and holding the file just as tightly in the other, Franziska strode forward and walked past Miles Edgeworth as though walking had been her plan all along.

He caught up to her rather quickly, and she slowed her pace down...taking in the soft chill of the spring air. For March, it was rather warm...and Franziska didn't mind it either way...home...Germany...was bitterly cold during this time of year...she turned her attention to Miles and handed him the case file, flicking her hair with her newly freed hand. "The case is rather cut and dry." she stated, as Edgeworth flicked through the documents. "Do you think he's guilty?" Miles questioned calmly, to Franziska's surprise. "Aren't they all?" she retorted in return.

"I wasn't." Miles stated firmly, looking up from the files and narrowing his gaze at Franziska. She gave a '_hmph' _and folded her arms over her chest, keeping silent as they continued to walk. "Who do you think really did it?" Miles asked after a moment, making Franziska sigh...she was starting to irritably regret walking.

"Adrian Andrews." she replied finally. "She had too much to hide...and when you put certain pieces of evidence together...it all points to her. I...I tried coercing the truth out of her...but she wouldn't say a word. Though I **did** persuade her to agree to testify if Wright called for her. I promised I'd cover her and let Engarde take the fall."

Miles was silent as Franziska stated this with a small sense of defeat already in her voice and her posture. "...why do you think Engarde is incapable of committing such a crime?" he asked, trying to gauge her responses.

"...he's...so naive." Franziska replied with a bitter laugh. "Have you seen the man? He looks like something that came off of a bad Hollywood surfer film."

Miles frowned deeply and touched Franziska gently on the shoulder, making her jump slightly and look at the prosecutor with a curious expression. "Don't ever underestimate people." he stated gravely. "I once prosecuted a case where a woman who looked so sweet and innocent actually turned out to be a conniving, scheming murderess, who was rather manipulative. I could never prove she did it, though...She fooled the whole court...me...the judge presiding over the case...the human mind can be warped in so many ways, Franziska. You know better than I do about that."

She ignored his comment.

She knew who he was referring to.

_**Why was it that everyone around her had to bring up the subject of her father?**_

They stood only several buildings from the courthouse, and now Miles held the file out to Franziska for her to take.

_From up here...the air seemed to whip faster around him._

"Now...do you think Matt Engarde is guilty?" Miles questioned, lowering his gaze to lock eyes with her.

_He unloaded his burden here, leveled it on the edge of the massive building...ahh...and there she was. Right on time...typical._

She stared back defiantly, and snatched the file away from Miles, holding it close against her chest.

_Ready..._

"Do you?" she asked, not ceasing her stony gaze.

_Aim..._

"That is merely for you to decide." Miles replied, as he began to walk away, stopping as Franziska called him name. He turned, for a moment, seeing that small child he called _big sister_...that determined and decisive girl who had grown up without him to be there...to perhaps guide her down a better path that that her father had laid out for her.

"Miles Edgeworth...aren't they all guilty?" she questioned with a confident smirk.

"...I suppose we **all** are, Franziska."

_Fire._

And that's when it caught his eye. A figure on a rooftop, looking straight at her.

**"FRANZISKA! MOVE!"**

**_BANG!_**

Had it not been for his warning, perhaps the story of Franziska von Karma might have simply ended the same way her mother's life did...shot down on a vacant street. But it did not. Instead, she turned ever so slightly as the trigger was pulled...and the bullet traveled straight into her shoulder. Her scream penetrated the streets, and the file in her hands dropped to the ground, along with her whip. Franziska gripped the injured shoulder, and slowly backed up against a wall of a building that was close to her. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest...and she wasn't even registering the fact that Miles Edgeworth was right in front of her, dialing 911 on his cell phone, while at the same time trying to gauge her consciousness level. Franziska rested her head back against the wall and could feel tiny beads of sweat fall down her face...her eyes were wide and looked as though she was completely aware of what was going on...but she was slipping out of reality fast. The jolt of the shot...the feel of blood between her fingers...the rapid beating of her heart...all of these things contributed to the final outcome...when she slowly let her eyelids close, and she sunk down against the wall as though trying to hide from the world. She could feel Miles gently shaking her other shoulder, and could hear the soft gasps and murmurs from what she assumed to be a crowd that had formed...and then the distant sound of a siren.

Well...she certainly wasn't going to be prosecuting the trial today...

The trial...!

Franziska forced her eyes open and looked up into Miles concerned ones. No...not in this moment. She was no longer going to hide from the world, like she knew she had been doing. She gritted her teeth against the pain and exhaled a deep breath. "Miles...you've got...you've got to take my place. You know enough about the trial to get the guilty verdict." she stated through her clenched teeth. "Beat the hell out of Wright. The trial starts in less than ten minutes...if you don't hurry now, Engarde will go free. I can take care of myself. If you let me down, Miles Edgeworth, I'll never forgive your foolishness."

Surprised with her request, Miles looked at her with wide eyes and looked as though he considered protesting for a moment, until Franziska lowered her head to emphasize that stone cold glare she was well known for. The screech of the ambulance pulling up behind him made Miles close his eyes and nod slightly, shaking his head in disbelief.

"All right. I'll take your place. Wright won't know what hit him."

As an EMT came rushing up to help Franziska in the ambulance, Miles walked over and picked up the file on Engarde. He turned just as Franziska was about to step into the large medical van. "Do you think he's guilty, Miles Edgeworth?" she questioned seriously, clutching her injured shoulder tightly.

"Aren't they all, Franziska?" Miles replied back coolly. Franziska feigned a bitter laugh and then stepped into the van


	12. When She Loved Me

_**Vollkommenheit**_

_Chapter 12:_

_**Wenn sie Geliebten mich**_

**_Author's note: This is _not_ the third installment of the Perfection series. But this does follow the same time line as the Perfection series. The title is in German, and is does, in fact, mean perfection. And while the chapter titles will be in German, on the drop down menu, they will be in English. Okay…you know the drill. I don't own Phoenix Wright games or characters…and if I did, I'd be swimming in my own pool of money (which would be shaped like a dollar bill!) But I DO own Diana (pronounced Dee-ahna with a German accent)(RIP...waaaaaaahhhhh! poor Diana!), Adele Etzel, Jakob _****_Dietfried, Althea Weber, _****_and Marty Cruss. I'll never abandon my story! Promise! And while you don't have to read Limits or Striving before this...it might help, as some of the flashbacks will be referenced to._ **

**_TO MY REVIEWERS!_**

**_noian: ahhh, that will be for me to know and you to find out! Muahahahah!_**

**_Auryn: Good! I thought you'd like this one better!_**

**_Tilea: Yay! Thanks for the review! _**

**_KingdomKeeperSai: I'm so sorry to hear about your math course! Math is my worst subject too._**

**_OOOH! OOH! Vollkommenheit now has a title image to go with it! Go to my profile and look!!!_**

**_Oh and now you can find a link to my playlist for my stories. If there's a song you'd like to hear that I've put up the lyrics to, just go to my profile, click on the link, and find that song! _**

**_AND NOW...ON TO THE STORY!!_**

**_Ah, these translations you might need... _**

_Kleine Dame...little lady_

_Ja...yes_

_Auf Wiedersehen...goodbye (formal)_

_Herr...Sir_

_Frau...Mrs. (respectful) _

_Meine Mutter...my mother_

_Es tut mir Leid...I'm sorry_

_Guten tag...good day_

_Nein...no_

_Bitte_..._please_

_Meine Tochter...my daughter_

_Guten Morgen...good morning_

_Vielen Dank...thank you_

_Verlassen Sie mich nicht...don't leave me_

_Lassen Sie mich gehen...let me go_

_Helf mir...help me_

_Frauline...Miss_

_Meine Gott...My God_

**Now I know that a song intended for a Disney/Pixar movie is not what most people would think would be fitting for a serious moment, and no I'm not talking about the song "you've got a friend in me". When I heard "When She Loved Me," I knew right then and there that while it may have fit the memories and story that Jessie tells in Toy Story 2, it can also fit the mindset of a small child thinking about their mother...aka Franziska thinking about Diana. Enjoy!**

* * *

_**When somebody loved me,  
Everything was beautiful.  
Every hour spent together,  
Lives within my heart.**_

_"Bitte."_

_"Please."_

_"Nein."_

_"No."_

_"Ja."_

_"Yes." _

_"Vielen Dank."_

_"Thank you." _

_"Mein Name ist Franziska."_

_"My name is Franziska." _

_"Ich verstehe." _

_"Uhm...I...understand?" _

_Franziska bit her lip lightly and looked anxiously at her maid. Diana closed the large book in front of her and laughed gently. "Kleine Dame...you really are a genius. To learn two languages in such a short amount of time...and understand what every word means. You truly **are** the perfect child." she stated praisingly. Franziska heaved a sigh and then looked up at the woman with eager eyes. "Do you think that Papa will feel the same way, Diana?" she asked eagerly. "Of course, Franziska." Diana replied, ruffling the child's hair. "Why wouldn't he?"_

_Franziska looked down and mumbled something so softly that Diana could not understand what the girl was trying to say. "What did you say, Kleine Dame?" Diana asked gently, cupping the child's chin and raising her head to look up at her. "I...I said that since Papa is gone...maybe he-"_

_"Oh come now, Franziska. You know your Papa loves you beyond all measure. He's just gone to America, that's all." Diana interrupted gently. "You know that if he could be here, it would be he, and not I, who would be teaching you in your English lessons."_

_"R-really, Diana?" Franziska asked hopefully._

_"Of course! Now come, let's continue. You want to greet your Papa in English when he returns, don't you?" Diana asked, with her characteristically cheerful smile. _

_"Y-yes! I do!" the child chirped in return as Diana opened the book again._

_"Guten tag."_

_"Good day."_

_"Ich habe Sie verpasst."_

_"I've missed you..."_

_**And when she was sad  
I was there to dry her tears  
**_

_The soft sobs filled Franziska's ears, and the curious child climbed out of her crib to take a look...perhaps the television had been left on and one of those daytime shows that Diana despised so much was on..._

_The source came from the room that would soon be that of the orphan boy that her father had so kindly taken in. Poking her head around the corner with an inquisitive expression on her face, Franziska was surprised to see Diana, in an exhausted slump on the floor. Her hair had been taken out of its customary bun, and hung long to the edges of her shoulder blades. Her black dress splayed out around her legs, and Franziska could practically hear the dripping of tears onto the hardwood floor. This whole scene was a shock to the small child, who had never seen anything but cheerfulness and joy out of the woman who had taken care of her so faithfully._

_"Diana?"_

_Her tiny voice seemed to reach though the layers of sadness emanating around the woman, and she turned quickly towards her. Now Franziska could see her tear-streaked face...and the corners of her eyes that were filled with remnants of sadness. Diana placed something underneath the folds of her dress quickly, and wiped her eyes. She tried to fake a smile, but it didn't work. Franziska already knew that this woman was now capable of crying...perhaps it was a good thing? She seemed more human now._

_"K-Kleine Dame...is there something you need?" Diana asked, clearing her throat and sitting up straighter so that her back was against the edge of the bed. She motioned to her lap, and Franziska quickly toddled over to her, sitting down, her back to the woman. _

_"I heard you crying." Franziska stated, looking up slightly._

_"I-is that so?" Diana replied, as she began busying her hands by beginning to braid strands of the child's thin hair._

_"Why are you so sad?" the little girl questioned softly._

_"__What make you so sure I was crying because I was sad?"_

_"...I know the difference between happy crying and sad crying. When you're happy, you're not hiding things." Franziska replied wisely, referring to the thing Diana had underneath the skirts of her dress._

_The woman sat in stunned silence for a moment before bowing her head and letting a soft smile frame her face. "You...you, Franziska von Karma...you will always be ahead of your years...wide beyond all comparison." she praised quietly. _

_**And when she was happy,  
So was I**_

_"So what were you crying about?" Franziska questioned after sitting in several minutes in comfortable silence as Diana was braiding little sections of her light-blue hair._

_Diana took several minutes to answer, in which time, she did not touch the child's hair. Instead, Franziska could hear the ruffling of cloth, and she assumed that Diana was bringing out whatever she had been hiding._

_"...I was thinking about my daughter." Diana replied softly, looking at the picture while the child's back was turned._

_"You have a daughter, Diana?" Franziska asked with a genuinely surprised tone of voice._

_"I did...she...she was taken from me at birth."_

_Franziska understood...or at least, she thought that she did. What to say to something as serious as that? The child felt rather remorseful for bringing the topic up, even if it **was** unintentional. _

_"I'm sorry." the German child replied finally, finding that a simple apology seemed the most fitting for the situation._

_"Don't be sorry, Franziska. I may have lost her, but there are moments when I feel as though she has never left me." Diana replied with a gentle smile, as she tucked the photo down the front of her dress for safekeeping for the moment._

_"Maybe...maybe I could be your new daughter?" Franziska asked, trying to cheer the woman up. She turned in Diana's lap, cocking her head slightly at the confused and yet slightly joyous expression on the older woman's face. _

_And then she laughed._

_It was like the old Diana again; laughing heartily at the child's unintentional wisdom._

_"Oh Kleine Dame you are too funny. You are a von Karma! Silly girl...you can only be your father's daughter!" she exclaimed, making Franziska giggle as well._

_Diana was right._

_It **was** a rather foolish notion. _

_To suggest she could be anything other than her father's daughter._

_How foolish._

_**When she loved me...**_

_**Through the summer  
and the fall.  
We had each other  
that was all**.  
**Just she and I together  
Like it was meant to be...**_

_"Diana...what are those children doing?"_

_"Hmm?" Diana looked up from doing the dishes in the kitchen and looked into the dining room where Franziska was pressed against a window, pointing to a group of schoolchildren walking home from school. _

_"Oh..." Diana left the rest of the dishes in the sink and walked to the inquisitive child. She knew this day would come eventually...and had thought of many ways to explain it to her...but somehow, none of them seemed to explain the real truth._

_"Do you mean those children over there?" Diana questioned, kneeling behind Franziska and looked out of the windowpane above her._

_"Uh huh. What are they doing outside? It's cold out there!" Franziska exclaimed, turning to look at her maid with wide, innocent eyes._

_"They've going home from school, Franziska." Diana replied, looking down at Franziska in return._

_"School? You mean they're not taught their lessons at home?" the child asked, pressing her face to the glass once more, admiring the children in their warm jackets, prancing in the leaves that fell, signaling autumn's approach._

_"No...they all go to one place and learn there...but they also make friends there. School isn't so bad once you get past the homework and the annoying other children and the rude teachers and the snobby parents and the-"_

_"Diana...why don't **I** go to school?" A tug on her sleeve, the highly inquisitive look, and the girl's words made Diana pause in mid-sentence. _

_"I suppose your Papa thinks it best for you to stay here." the maid answered finally after thinking over the best choice of words to say to the child._

_"...oh..." Franziska whispered, looking back at the last of the children, who were vanishing from her sight._

_"I...I'm different. Aren't I, Diana?" she questioned after the sounds of laughter and fun were gone from her ears and the noisy children were gone from her sight. All that was left were the falling leaves and the sound of the hollow wind that blew against the sturdy manor. _

_"Franziska...Kleine Dame...you are a von Karma! You are **destined** to be different than other children." Diana replied, feigning cheerfulness. "Besides! Would you really risk going out there in the bitter cold, possibly catching a cold, just to play with some children who may claim that they'll never speak to you again the next day? Or would you rather sit by the fire in the library with me and a cup of hot cocoa?"_

_The gray-blue eyed girl perked up at the mention of hot cocoa on this chilling day. "Really, Diana? Can we read something in the library too? Anything! Just so long as it's a bigger book than the last time." _

_Diana laughed and picked the child up. "Really, child. I can only read so much of Les Miserables before my mouth begins to get tongue tied and sore. Those French names are hard for a German woman like me to pronounce." she teased, walking into the kitchen. _

_She would leave the dishes for later._

_**And when she was lonely  
I was there to comfort her**_

_"Diana?"_

_Franziska stood in the doorway to the room that the maid normally occupied. Dressed in a black dress that almost covered her tiny feet, which were protected by black leather mary-janes, and her hair clipped up at the side with a tiny black clip, she looked even more solemn and wide-eyed than normal._

_But there was no one in the room._

_Of course._

_How could she forget the reason she was in black in the first place?_

_Diana was gone. _

_Wiping clean her eyes, Franziska walked to the bed and climbed atop it. She rested her head on the pillow, feeling more heartbroken than she had in the days since the truth had been revealed. As she moved her head, Franziska heard something crinkle in the pillowcase. Curious, she lifted her head up and reached inside the pillowcase, pulling out a photograph._

_"Mama..." she whispered, turning the photograph over to reveal its picture._

_**And I knew that she loved me...**_

_A birthday party she never remembered. Her first birthday. Perhaps the only party she ever had in her life. She had never had a party, to her knowledge. There she was, in Diana's lap, looking curiously at the woman she would never know as Mama until it was too late. With a smile of great joy forever etched onto her face...Franziska vowed that this was how she would always remember Diana...as the most cheerful woman that life would ever let her know._

_Was this the thing that Diana had hidden from her?_

_This precious memento that had been in her pillow?_

_Franziska would never lose it._

_**So the years went by  
I stayed the same  
But she began to drift away  
I was left alone**_

_She sat at her desk, twirling a pencil between her slender fingers. The desk space was sparse and organized. Everything that needed to be filed was placed into a filing cabinet to her right. Cases that were left unsolved or that were being worked on by other members of the prosecution staff were in the filing cabinet to her left. While other prosecutors had picture frames on the edges of their desks, or plaques hanging on their walls...Franziska had none. Her office was just as bare as her desk, save for the two leather chairs that were seated opposite her desk, and a couch up against the far right wall. The desk drawers were just as neatly organized too...office supplies went in the small drawer in front of her, and miscellaneous items went in the other drawers...but never cluttered. _

_She kept it spotless for when her father came for surprise visits. If he had no way of knowing that she really understood how much of crucial role Diana played in her life, the better off she was. The better off Diana's memory was. But for those rare times, like this one, where the teenage prosecutor had nothing to do that could benefit herself or other members of her office, she kept it hidden here. It being the photo she had kept close to her heart since childhood. Franziska pulled it out from underneath an organizing tray in one of her drawers that had hidden it. and smiled upon the scene...until she felt a gap in her memory come forth. She couldn't remember...she couldn't remember..._

_Those well preserved memories were fading as she grew older and her mind made room for less important things. It horrified and saddened her to realize that she could barely remember the details of her long-since-passed mother. What...what were the color of her eyes? The picture didn't show them well, yet as a child she remembered finding herself entranced by them._

_The picture fluttered to the ground as Franziska pounded her fists on her desk and clenched her teeth, suppressing emotion. She was in a public place, in her **work** place. She couldn't cry here...not over something people would find as trivial as the loss of some silly details of a woman long since dead. _

_"Why...?" she whispered, her voice hitching in the back of her throat._

_"Not now. Don't...don't leave me now..."_

_**Still I waited for the day  
When she'd say  
I will always love you**_

_She looked back at the manor from where she stood, her suitcases at her feet on the sidewalk. Though it had been thoroughly taken care of in her father's absence...and to every one else, it looked like the best house in the whole city, Franziska could feel the hollowness and the loneliness that emanated from the property. The icy wind howled around her, and the woman looked at her reflection in the taxi window. Had she really grown that much? There she was, her light-blue hair cut short, hanging straight against her pale face. The full length black coat covered her body down to her feet, where she wore high-heeled boots that upped her hight a little. In one hand, she carried her whip...and with the other, she picked up a suitcase an began loading it into the taxi. It was hard to say goodbye to the place she had called home for her entire life._

_Eighteen...she was eighteen now. Her father had been in prison for little over a year...Miles Edgeworth had apparently committed suicide...it seemed that there was not a soul in the world who seemed to care for the lonesome woman._

_Diana would have._

_Oh how Franziska used to imagine it. She would stand at the curb and Diana would rush from the house, smothering her with kisses and hugs, and begging her to be good and give her all against the defense attorneys in California..._

_But it was not meant to be._

_She placed the suitcases in the open trunk of the taxi, and then, after rearranging them a bit, she closed the trunk, and got into the back of the cab. _

_"To the airport, right, Frauline von Karma?" the driver questioned gently, to which Franziska merely nodded as she settled in her seat and closed the door behind her. _

_It was a temporary farewell, yes, but farewell nonetheless._

_**Lonely and forgotten  
I never thought she'd look my way **_

_She awoke, perhaps not in body but in mind. Confused...for all she could see was darkness around her. She felt as though she was in a endless void...trapped in the confines of her own mind. __Oh that's right... An attempt had been made on her life. Slowly, she was going back; various memories flooded her. She knew she would not wake for a while...still her subconscious had had enough of those memories...she had blocked them for a reason...anything that had to do with Diana had been blocked from her mind. At least, it had up until yesterday. Yesterday, when she took a moment to think about all that had happened to her to lead up to the point where she was at now. To the point where she was 'Franziska von Karma, the prosecuting prodigy', and not just Franziska. She seemed to walk endlessly in the void of darkness...finally collapsing on the ground in a frustrated heap. _

_"Kleine Dame...what's wrong?"_

_She felt a presence touch against her shoulder, and looked up into the sapphire blue eyes of a woman, dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a simple white blouse. The woman's locks of hair were a soft blue color...almost like her own..._

_"...I did as you said, Diana...I didn't cry...I was strong...I let Papa think he'd won...I even bought a whip. Why do I feel like you've left me all alone? Why do I feel like the whole world has dumped me off somewhere to crawl into a corner and die?"_

_"Oh Franziska..." _

_The warmth of an embrace filled her body._

_**And she smiled at me  
And held me,  
Just like she used to do**_

_"I know what he's done to you...but in the end, you came out victoriously, Franziska. You let him think that you'd never make it, and then you turned around and showed him what you were made of. I always said you had more potential than any child I had ever known of...it was your father's choice not to believe me...and believe me when I say this, Franziska. I never could have asked for a more perfect child. I may never have been able to see you off in this world, but you've done a great deal more than I ever could have helped you with."_

_"Diana..."_

_**Like she loved me...  
When she loved me..**_

_Silence filtered over her, and she didn't mind laying her head in her mother's lap...feeling as though she had reverted back to three years old again, when she used to lay in Diana's lap and listen to her read stories aloud until she fell asleep._

_"Franziska...wake up..."_

_"Hmmm?"_

_As she looked upwards, her eyes were suddenly blinded by white, and her vision came into focus..._

"Franziska, wake up. Franziska? Franziska, how are you feeling?"

Miles Edgeworth was standing over her, watchful eyes filled with a gentle worry. Franziska blinked several times before finally realizing what had happened. She had been put under for emergency surgery on her shoulder...and now that the anesthesia was wearing off, her mind didn't seem so fuzzy, crowded, and delusional. A dream? A hopeful longing of a future never seen? Her conversation with Diana was nothing more than a fleeting thought...just a figment of her realistic imagination. The German woman cleared her throat and looked at Edgeworth seriously before speaking.

"The trial." she demanded, her voice sounding a little off.

"We need to find more evidence...right now, the trial is at a standstill." Miles replied, sitting down in a chair next to the woman. Franziska sat up in her hospital bed, careful of her aching shoulder. "...is he guilty?" she questioned, attempting to cross her arms over her chest. This was received by a sigh of frustration by her fellow prosecutor, and perked her own interest.

"...we found that there's a third party involved in all of this." Miles stated gravely.

"Murder-for-hire?" Franziska translated with a raised eyebrow. "Somehow this doesn't seem like the type of case for that sort of thing."

"Nothing is ever as it seems, Franziska." the older man stated wisely, a frown etched deep into his features.

"Then by all means, your duty is to figure out what's going on before Wright beats you to it. I'm not going to interfere...you've started this trial, and I most certainly do not pick up cases where people have left me their work to clean up." Franziska replied, a determined fire glowing in her eyes.

"Speaking of Wright...he's coming here." Miles added, running a hand through his hair...he didn't even have to look up to know Franziska had a look on her face that was in between contempt for the man and absolute surprise for his concern. "He was worried at the beginning of the trial. And when court was dismissed, and I told him I was coming here, he said he'd be here shortly after."

That was all she needed to hear to motivate herself to start moving around after her operation. She swung her feet around and stood up, gingerly touching her shoulder as she stretched slightly. As she began to walk out of the room, she noticed that she seemed to be missing something. The icy-blue haired woman turned around to find Miles Edgeworth standing up and holding her whip out for her.

"...looking for this?" he questioned with a ghost of a smile on his lips. Franziska snatched it out of his hands and her thank you was a mere flick of her hair over her shoulders. Walking out of the room ahead of her, Miles did not notice that she did not follow. The German woman stood there for a moment, looking at the object in her hands...and let a small...very, very, small smile trace her lips for a fraction of a second.

**_When somebody loved me  
Everything was beautiful  
Every hour spent together,  
Lives within my heart..._**

_"Don't listen to him, Franziska. Not when he says things like that." Diana continued strongly. "If he wants to batter your spirit, only make him think that he is...when you come out from behind and whip him...he'll never know what hit him."_

_Franziska looked at Diana with curious eyes. "So...I...I should get a whip?" she asked, blinking._

_The maid laughed, and ruffled the child's hair. "If that's what gets you through the day with him...then yes, Franziska." she replied with a genuine smile._

**When she...loved me...**


	13. Renouncing Perfection

_**Vollkommenheit**_

_Chapter 13:_

_**Verzichtende Vollkommenheit**_

**_Author's note: This is _not_ the third installment of the Perfection series. But this does follow the same time line as the Perfection series. The title is in German, and is does, in fact, mean perfection. And while the chapter titles will be in German, on the drop down menu, they will be in English. Okay…you know the drill. I don't own Phoenix Wright games or characters…and if I did, I'd be swimming in my own pool of money (which would be shaped like a dollar bill!) But I DO own Diana (pronounced Dee-ahna with a German accent)(RIP...waaaaaaahhhhh! poor Diana!), Adele Etzel, Jakob _****_Dietfried, Althea Weber, _****_and Marty Cruss. I'll never abandon my story! Promise! And while you don't have to read Limits or Striving before this...it might help, as some of the flashbacks will be referenced to._ **

**_TO MY REVIEWERS!_**

**_Tilea: I know exactly what you mean...and be careful about the wall people...they'r_****_e EVERYWHERE! LOL_ **

**_Indochine: Thanks alot! Glad you like it!_**

**_Auryn: Thank you! You really like Diana, huh? YAY ME! 4 and 1/2 stars!_**

**_noian: Really? Wow, that's a really high compliment! I'm honored! _ **

**_OOOH! OOH! Vollkommenheit now has a title image to go with it! Go to my profile and look!!!_**

**_Oh and now you can find a link to my playlist for my stories. If there's a song you'd like to hear that I've put up the lyrics to, just go to my profile, click on the link, and find that song! _**

**_AND NOW...ON TO THE STORY!!_**

**_Ah, these translations you might need... _**

_Kleine Dame...little lady_

_Ja...yes_

_Auf Wiedersehen...goodbye (formal)_

_Herr...Sir_

_Frau...Mrs. (respectful) _

_Meine Mutter...my mother_

_Es tut mir Leid...I'm sorry_

_Guten tag...good day_

_Nein...no_

_Bitte_..._please_

_Meine Tochter...my daughter_

_Guten Morgen...good morning_

_Vielen Dank...thank you_

_Verlassen Sie mich nicht...don't leave me_

_Lassen Sie mich gehen...let me go_

_Helf mir...help me_

_Frauline...Miss_

_Meine Gott...My God_

* * *

She had never felt any sort of reason to help out a rival. If they couldn't do something themselves, then she had no reason in trying to help out with their pathetic problems. But this was different. If she had come to Phoenix Wright...and some one dear to her had been caught up in the situation that Maya Fey was finding herself in...Franziska von Karma sure as hell expected him to help in any way possible. Taking it from his side, she saw no problem in helping to head the investigation into Maya's kidnapping. What was it that made her heart go soft at his problems? 

The pleading look?

The cries from the little girl next to him...Pearl, was it?

Or perhaps the dark circles around both of their eyes?

Either way, she was perfectly convinced.

* * *

When she screamed out her objection in court, it felt different than normal. Bursting through the doors, practically in contempt of court, and handing Wright three pieces of evidence...she was confused at the proud swelling that rose up inside of her. Why was she happy that she had helped this man? Why did she feel this burst of pride, as she watched Matt Engarde get sent off to prison? Her puzzled expressions were well masked, as she threateningly cracked her whip in front of the terrified man. She would never have revenge for her injured shoulder...but it was not worth chasing down. She was well. Perhaps that was all that mattered. 

But now she knew. As she watched from a distance, they congregated in the courtroom lobby. She leaned up against the wall, unseen and unheard. Watching...her eyes were searching their faces. She was puzzled as their joyous expressions seemed to light up the lobby. Miles Edgeworth...Phoenix Wright...Maya Fey...even that scruffy detective and that little girl. In infuriated her that they all seemed, in their friendship and happiness, seemed to have found the cure for the loneliness that pounded at her soul like waves on a beach. Even her little brother, who used to only have her for companionship...

What fools they were!

She had enough of this!

Storming over, Franziska took a sense of pleasure in ruining their fair mood. She stood, her whip firmly grasped in her right hand as she spoke directly to Phoenix. "What are you foolishly standing around here for?! The case is done with! It's over! Stop standing there like an absolute fool with that foolish smile on your face! I-"

She stopped, feeling a light touch on her shoulder. She could see out of the corner of her eye, that it was Miles who had stopped her from her rant...and for some strange reason, she did not protest. From the look in his eyes, it seemed as though there was something he had to say. Perhaps he wanted her to hear it?

"...Wright...Franziska. You two both have every right to know why I left one year ago." he stated, taking his hand off of Franziska's shoulder. **Now** she was interested. Her little brother was about to reveal what had been bothering her for a good deal now. She would be all ears for this.

"It took all of the strength I had to recognize that for my own personal satisfaction...for guilty verdicts, I used every dirty trick in the book. Everything that I had ever been taught, I employed; and so my win record remained spotless. But then, Wright...you suddenly appeared in court and held strong against me. Against a selfish and guiltless person in my own mind. I tasted defeat at your hands, over, and over again. I felt like I had lost everything. No. I knew at that moment, that I **had** lost all that I thought I had worked for. Then...then it became my turn...my turn to stand trial. And you saved me. I couldn't forgive myself for hating you. For hating the person I had deemed as my enemy...who had then turned around, out of the goodness of his heart, and saved me. So I left the Prosecutor's office..."

"And you left that note..." Phoenix finished, making Miles nod almost painfully.

"Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth chooses death..." the silver-haired prosecutor whispered aloud the words he had written.

_Oh how **dare** he! How **dare** he leave! If that was all...if that was all there was to his falsified suicide...! Just Phoenix Wright?! How DARE he leave her at a critical time, all because of his foolish emotions and his foolish pride!_

Franziska, hiding these emotions of rage, folded her arms over her chest and looked coldly at Miles. "Hmph...you might as well have chosen death. You, more than anyone, as a prosecutor who has shamed himself with defeat like that should just crawl into a hole and die." she stated harshly.

He looked at her with a look of indifference. It was as though he didn't care for her opinion any longer. While this did not anger her...there was a part of her that felt as though it had died.

"...But that was not what happened, is it, Franziska?" Miles questioned calmly, and continued without letting her have a chance to retort. "After I left the Prosecutor's Office, I finally came to realize something. And it was in that moment of clarity that everything began to change. We prosecutors use anything we can to attack the defendant. But every time I did so... No matter how desperate the situation, instead of giving up like most people, Wright, you would continue to hold strong with this incomprehensible undying faith."

"What foolish nonsense!" Franziska stated, clenching her left hand into a fist. She was getting tired of him praising this man who had been underneath her skin since the moment they had met.

"It doesn't matter how many underhanded tricks a person uses, Franziska!" Miles protested to the German woman, the words following, hitting her like a ton of bricks. "The truth will always find a way to make itself known. The only thing we can do is to fight with the knowledge we hold and everything we have. Erasing the paradoxes one by one... It's never easy... We claw and scratch for every inch. But we will always eventually reach that one single truth."

"The...truth?" Franziska questioned, blinking for a moment...those barriers around her beginning to slowly build their way up. His speech was having a reverse effect, and it was suddenly apparent by Franziska's outburst. This was it! He wanted the damn truth! Well she would sure as hell give it to him!

"You pathetic fool." her voice was low and threatening...and suddenly traces of Manfred von Karma were evident in her attitude. Her gaze, the way she pursed her lips as each syllable rolled off her tongue crisply and cleanly. Miles looked back at her with wide and surprised eyes as she continued. A fearful silence loomed over the rest who were standing around. "I don't want to hear the wretched whimpering of a disgraced loser!" Now her voice was starting to raise up to that of the furious woman she was. "A von Karma is someone who is destined to be perfect! Miles Edgeworth..._you are no longer worthy_! You were never worth in the first place! How I ever thought that you could **ever** be worthy is beyond me! You are no longer worthy of being a von Karma! **And neither am I**!" It was the truth that had been kept up inside of her since the very beginnings of her law studies. **For fifteen years.**

_It's over...It's all over!_

She threw her whip down at the feet of Miles Edgeworth...and walked out of the courthouse. Her head may have been held high, but her spirit was battered and defeated.

She was finished.

No more would she fight her battles in court.

There was no point.

Her perfect record had been thrown out.

She had renounced herself as a von Karma...

She had renounced perfection.


	14. To be a prosecutor

_**Vollkommenheit**_

_Chapter 14:_

_**Um ein Kläger zu sein**_

**_Author's note: This is _not_ the third installment of the Perfection series. But this does follow the same time line as the Perfection series. The title is in German, and is does, in fact, mean perfection. And while the chapter titles will be in German, on the drop down menu, they will be in English. Okay…you know the drill. I don't own Phoenix Wright games or characters…and if I did, I'd be swimming in my own pool of money (which would be shaped like a dollar bill!) But I DO own Diana (pronounced Dee-ahna with a German accent)(RIP...waaaaaaahhhhh! poor Diana!), Adele Etzel, Jakob _****_Dietfried, Althea Weber, _****_and Marty Cruss. I'll never abandon my story! Promise! And while you don't have to read Limits or Striving before this...it might help, as some of the flashbacks will be referenced to._ **

**_TO MY REVIEWERS!_**

**_noian: Yes she did. I derived the dialog for that part from the actual game dialog. And you would be correct as to assume that was the turning point._**

**_Auryn: Hahah, yup. DANG is right. _**

**_OOOH! OOH! Vollkommenheit now has a title image to go with it! Go to my profile and look!!!_**

**_Oh and now you can find a link to my playlist for my stories. If there's a song you'd like to hear that I've put up the lyrics to, just go to my profile, click on the link, and find that song!_**

**_Here's something creepy! When I checked after updating the story, Phoenix Wright had 666 stories, and mine was the first one in the category. Creepy, huh? _**

**_AND NOW...ON TO THE STORY!!_**

**_Ah, these translations you might need... _**

_Kleine Dame...little lady_

_Ja...yes_

_Auf Wiedersehen...goodbye (formal)_

_Herr...Sir_

_Frau...Mrs. (respectful) _

_Meine Mutter...my mother_

_Es tut mir Leid...I'm sorry_

_Guten tag...good day_

_Nein...no_

_Bitte_..._please_

_Meine Tochter...my daughter_

_Guten Morgen...good morning_

_Vielen Dank...thank you_

_Verlassen Sie mich nicht...don't leave me_

_Lassen Sie mich gehen...let me go_

_Helf mir...help me_

_Frauline...Miss_

_Meine Gott...My God_

* * *

_"Attention. Flight 320 to Frankfurt, Germany is now boarding. Please proceed to gate B12."  
_

_"Aufmerksamkeit. Flug 320 nach Frankfurt, besteigt Deutschland jetzt. Bitte fahren Sie zu Tor B12."_

_"Attention. Le vol 320 à Francfort, Allemagne monte maintenant. S'il vous plaît les bénéfices consigner B12"_

_"Attenzione. Il volo 320 a Francoforte, Germania adesso si imbarca su. Per favore di procedere al cancello B12"_

The announcement over the speakers made Franziska look at her watch. 9:42. Well, they were a little earlier than she had expected them to be when it came to boarding, but at least she was not stuck here in the airport for hours upon hours. She looked out the large window that was in font of her. No...it was more like the entire wall was made of glass, for she could see everything out of it. Watching the lights of the planes flash as they took off underneath the dark, cloudy and uncertain sky only made her feel more depressed. She would be leaving America as a quitter...a failure to the von Karma name.

And a failure to Diana.

How had it happened? She had come here, hell-bent on defeating the only man who stood in her way to becoming the most perfect prosecutor. She remembered stepping off of the plane, with the mind-set that she would make the court system bow down to her...but she couldn't do it.

Was she really that weak?

She picked up her baggage, and flicked her hair out of her face. As she turned on her heels to leave, she heard a familiar voice fill her ears. So close to her, it felt as though he had been there all along, watching her.

"Where are you going, Franziska?"

She gasped, and dropped her luggage as she turned around to face Miles Edgeworth. With a slightly smug smile on his face, he looked just as foolish as he did when she left the courthouse that afternoon. "How did you know I was going to be here?" she demanded, crossing her arms over her chest in a defiant manner.

"One could say it was a lucky guess." Edgeworth replied, with that smile still on his face...and then suddenly the emotion changed, and he looked down slightly before speaking again. "What are you going to do now?" he questioned, with a tone that said he feared to know the answer.

"That's none of your business!" Franziska snapped, taking a step closer towards the man she loathed at the moment.

"Are you running away?" Miles challenged, looking up and stepping closer towards her. Now they were less than inches away from each other's faces...and within striking range.

"Shut up!" she shouted, landing a blow to his cheek with her bare palm.

She was furious.

This was the last time he would assume he knew **anything** about her.

**"You don't understand a thing!"**

If the truth hurt, this must have been a real bomb dropped on him. She could see it in his expression...knew how he prided himself in knowing her; knowing the _great_ Franziska von Karma.He was wrong! He was sorely mistaken! He had never been there for her when she had needed him to be! Always gone from her life...always distant...how could he stand there and call her his big sister?

"You can't possibly understand what it means to be Manfred von Karma's daughter!"

Her gloved hands were clenched into fists, and she shook her head to rid herself of any trace of sadness she might have had welling up in her eyes. She heard him whisper her name under his breath, but did not stop her outburst because he was finally starting to understand. She would make him learn. She would tell him all that she had been keeping inside of her.

"Expected to win no matter what...for **years** I had that burden on me! Burdens of expectations that I knew I could not fulfill! Because I am _that man's_ daughter! Losing was not an option! ...but I...but I lost! I was supposed to be the genius prosecutor...but I..."

She paused.

All those praises that Diana had laid upon her...she knew...

**"I've always known I was not one..."**

"You are still a prosecutor." Edgeworth replied gravely, making Franziska scoff and shake her head.

He still didn't get it.

"You haven't changed a bit." she stated softly, letting her hair cover her face and her emotions. Only her words could speak for her now. "You've always...you've always..."

_"You're leaving?"_

_"To go back to America, yes. I suppose this is goodbye, Franziska."_

_She did not shake his outstretched hand. Instead, she merely held the large book close to her chest and glared at him with an icy stare that she hoped would penetrate his soul like his actions and words had done to her._

_"Go ahead. Leave. I never wanted you around here in the first place. Good riddance, Miles Edgeworth."_

**"...you've always left me alone and walked on without me."**_  
_

She looked up, steeling her resolve, and clenching both of her hands into fists as she laid the last blow upon the man who had come to see her off.

_**"****Miles Edgeworth,"**_

_Miles opened his eyes slowly and could feel the blood running down the side of his face...but that wasn't his main priority. He reached out and grabbed Franziska's outstretched hand, holding it a tightly as he could._

_"I...I promise. I'll always be here...when you need me. So...so don't give up Franziska! You and I...we'll become the perfect prosecutors together! Big sister...and her little brother."_

_And his words seemed to strike a chord into Franziska's heart, as she turned, lifting her head slightly, and a wan smile appeared on her lips. Weakly, she squeezed Miles' hand back._

_"...miles...edgeworth...you are...foolish..." _

_"I know." _

_**"I've always hated you."**_

He paused before speaking; she could see that her words had wounded him. He may not have shown it on the outside, but the flicker of pain that flashed in his eyes was obvious. She could tell he was thinking carefully about his words, and when he finally opened his mouth to speak to her, she was eager to hear what sort of foolish nonsense he had come up with.

"Franziska," he started slowly, looking at Franziska with an intense gaze in his dark eyes. "You chased after me, though I had been out of your life for several years now...after I left you alone; after I left you behind all those years. And that's why we're standing here in the airport, face to face. That's why you're standing here, with me, instead of rushing to catch your flight that's boarding." He paused as a flash of shock blurred onto her face for a mere second. "Are you really going to run away?"

Franziska tossed her hair slightly, and shrugged her shoulders carelessly. "I'm not running." she stated calmly.

"Franziska, you are a prosecutor and you always will be one. That is the path you've chosen in life-"

Her haughty laugh at his wrongful words caught Miles Edgeworth off guard. "No I'm not." Franziska stated, looking darkly at the silver-haired man; her piercing gaze telling him that she was serious. "I've even thrown away my whip. I don't need it any more...I won't ever use it any longer."

"Oh...you mean this?" Edgeworth asked, taking the item out of his pocket. He held it in his outstretched hands, and that's when all the emotion pounded her...as she took the object from him, feeling the weight of it in her hands. She closed her eyes for a moment, just standing there, holding it. And she could feel it...this whip...it was the embodiment of her soul. In it, she held the dearest memories of her mother, the abuses of her father, and the moments that made her as strong as she was.

_"So, you want to be like your father, huh? Be a prosecutor?"_

_"Don't listen to him."_

_"So I should get a whip?"_

_"If he wants to batter your spirit, only make him think that he is..."_

_"...emotions...are...a sign of weakness."_

_"...you'll never understand her **potential**." _

_"Papa...do...do you not love me any more?"_

_"She's **weak, **Diana! She's just a **weak girl**! **I HAVE NO TIME FOR THAT!"**_

_"Do you think I **enjoy** not being able to tel her the **truth?! SHE'S NOT MY DAUGHTER, MANFRED! SHE'S YOURS! THAT'S ALL SHE'LL **_**EVER_ KNOW!"_**

_"...Franziska...it's because...Franziska...I **am** your Mama..."_

_"...Meine...Tochter..."_

_"MAMA! NEIN! **MAMA! VERLASSEN SIE MICH NICHT!"**_

_"Ich habe Sie verpasst."_

_"I've missed you..." _

_**Diana.**_

How could she have been so careless as to realize that if she threw away everything now...she would throw away the dream her mother had for her? Everything that she did...all the hell she had been through...it was for the woman who had been gunned down in front of her fifteen years ago.

She held the whip with both of her hands, in front of her, and opened her tearful eyes. She could not stop the hitching of her voice and the slight jerking of her body as she let the emotions she had so longed for, release themselves in a tsunami of immense power.

**_"I...I...I am Franziska...von Karma." she stated proudly, through her tears._**

**_"D-don't think I'm...going to walk...in your shadow...forever...Miles Edgeworth."_**

_And she, after wiping her tears away, picked up her luggage and left the surprised man behind._

_She would return home._

_She would return to the office that was waiting for her..._

_And to the house where once a woman doted on a young and naive child, who wished to become a prosecutor...like her father.__  
_


	15. Her Memory and The Rebirth of Perfection

_**Vollkommenheit**_

_Chapter 15:_

_**Ihre Erinnerung - Die Auferstehung der Vollkommenheit**  
_

**_Author's note: This is _not_ the third installment of the Perfection series. But this does follow the same time line as the Perfection series. The title is in German, and is does, in fact, mean perfection. And while the chapter titles will be in German, on the drop down menu, they will be in English. Okay…you know the drill. I don't own Phoenix Wright games or characters…and if I did, I'd be swimming in my own pool of money (which would be shaped like a dollar bill!) But I DO own Diana (pronounced Dee-ahna with a German accent)(RIP...waaaaaaahhhhh! poor Diana!), Adele Etzel, Jakob _****_Dietfried, Althea Weber, _****_and Marty Cruss. I'll never abandon my story! Promise! And while you don't have to read Limits or Striving before this...it might help, as some of the flashbacks will be referenced to._ **

**_TO MY REVIEWERS!_**

**_KingdomKeeperSai: Ah, while this may be close to the end for _this_ story, I'm already working on the third installment to the 'perfection' series. Much more MilesXFranziska there._**

**_OOOH! OOH! Vollkommenheit now has a title image to go with it! Go to my profile and look!!!_**

**_Oh and now you can find a link to my playlist for my stories. If there's a song you'd like to hear that I've put up the lyrics to, just go to my profile, click on the link, and find that song!_**

**_Here's something creepy! When I checked after updating the story, Phoenix Wright had 666 stories, and mine was the first one in the category. Creepy, huh?_**

**_THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING SO SUPPORTIVE! THIS IS THE LAST CHAPTER TO VOLLKOMMENHEIT! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, AND A MILLION TIMES, THANK YOU!_**

**_SEE YOU AGAIN!_**

**_Ivy deLeon _**

**_AND NOW...ON TO THE STORY!!_**

**_Ah, these translations you might need... _**

_Kleine Dame...little lady_

_Ja...yes_

_Auf Wiedersehen...goodbye (formal)_

_Herr...Sir_

_Frau...Mrs. (respectful) _

_Meine Mutter...my mother_

_Es tut mir Leid...I'm sorry_

_Guten tag...good day_

_Nein...no_

_Bitte_..._please_

_Meine Tochter...my daughter_

_Guten Morgen...good morning_

_Vielen Dank...thank you_

_Verlassen Sie mich nicht...don't leave me_

_Lassen Sie mich gehen...let me go_

_Helf mir...help me_

_Frauline...Miss_

_Meine Gott...My God_

* * *

_**She tapped her fountain pen several times before letting the ink flow onto the paper in neat, cursive, unmatched penmanship. Beside her, to her right, lay the photo she cherished so dearly. To her left were the documents she had first presented to Jakob Dietfried. The truth, revealed by science, that she had always known.** _

_March 25, 2018  
_

_From the desk of Franziska von Karma._

_To the Bitburg Coroner's office._

_To whom it may concern,_

_I have a request that may seem a bit unorthodox, but I believe it is what would be best._

_I am writing on behalf of a victim whose remains are still kept safely with you. May I take this moment to thank you for taking such good care of her until now. But as I am no longer the three-year-old child I was when her death occurred, and I have my own way of life, I want to make sure there's a way for me to be able to visit her. Therefore, I am writing to request that the body of Diana Kunigunde-von Karma be removed from your care and buried in the cemetery closest to the French border, in Kaiserslautern's Kinder Grave. Yes, I know that this cemetery **is** meant for children only, but Diana was taken from me when I was only three...it is only fitting she be surrounded by children, as she was the most caring and giving mother any child could ever wish for._

_Diana served in my household as a maid. As a child, I merely believed that she was just a woman who was bound to take care of me...a woman who claimed that she knew who my mother was. I only found out the real truth much too late. I may have never even known it, had I not been as inquisitive and pestering as I was. Either way, her fate had been sealed when she walked out of the door of our home, and so had mine._

_Up until this day, I have struggled to prove her innocence, as she was labeled as a kidnapper, and a thief by my father. I have strived to put the woman who shot her behind bars, and learn the truth behind her death. But though my name is Karma, it seems that all of mine is bad, for the woman who knew the truth hung herself in my office, moments before I could learn what really happened. Nothing I seem to do ever works out in favor of her memory...but perhaps this will._

_Enclosed is the necessary proof...please do return it after you've looked it over. _

_If you would grant my request, I would forever be in your debt. Please hear this daughter's last pleas for soliace for her mother's spirit. _

_And thank you for taking your time to read this letter._

_Sincerely, _

_Franziska von Karma._

_**She had mailed that letter over several weeks ago. And the coroner's office had complied with her wishes...including that of returning the most precious items she had left. And now, as she traveled to Kaiserslautern, the scenery flashing by her as she looked out of the window from her comfortable seat, all regrets and doubts ceased. These were the moments that having the von Karma name seemed to benefit her. When she had called to reserve a round-trip train ticket and had told the woman on the other end of the phone her name, she instantly gained her own private cabin in the train. The curtains attached to her side of the glass doors, that hid herself from the public view were drawn halfway, dimming her light source. Above her, in the luggage racks, was a small briefcase. Franziska herself was seated in a leather chair across from a couch of the same material. If there was any way to travel in style, she had done it.**_

_**A sharp rapping at her glass door broke off her drifting thought and brought her attention to a figure outside her door. Strangely enough...she was rather sure that she recognized him. She stood, pushing away the curtains, and opened the door, to reveal a rather unexpected visitor.**_

_**"...Frauline von Karma. It's been some time, hasn't it?"**_

_**There he stood, the defense attorney that had just as much right to the closure she was gaining as well. Jakob Dietfried. Franziska had not seen him since that night she had stormed out of the restaurant. It was at least two years ago.**_

_**"...so it has." she replied, folding her arms carefully over her chest in an indifferent manner.**_

_**"May I?" he questioned, motioning to her cabin.**_

_**She hesitated for a moment, and then relented, moving aside and letting him sit down on the couch as she closed the door and drew the curtains, letting the daylight from the window shine in. The German woman sat down in her chair, her legs crossed at her ankle, looking at the older man with a wary eye.**_

_**"I didn't realize you had come back from America." he commented, starting off their conversation. It was an awkward moment for the both of them, having not seen each other in two years and parting ways in the abrupt and hateful way that they had.**_

_**"I don't normally tell people when I'm returning home...especially if it is none of their business." Franziska stated coolly, flicking her hair back over her shoulders. Her words stung, as they were supposed to. **_

_**"You still haven't forgiven my words, have you?" the man questioned with a chuckle, shaking his head. "Then again, if someone told me what I said to you...and I was in your shoes...perhaps I'd hate them for the rest of my life too."**_

_**"What do you want, Herr Dietfried?" Franziska questioned, irritation present in her voice.**_

_**She assumed by the surprised look that was etched onto his face, that he had not expected her to just come out and question why he was even on the same train, traveling to the same place she was. How could he not have? She was a von Karma...direct...determined...perfect. He should have known by now that anything he did not expect her to do, she did.**_

_**"It was published in the paper." he stated calmly, snapping Franziska out of her thoughts. She looked at him with a confused and unreadable expression. What was this man talking about?**_

_**"...what was in the paper?" she asked slowly and hesitantly.**_

_**"...the location of your mother's grave. Under the obituary section." Jakob replied softly. This was a delicate topic, and he was going to broach the subject very carefully. "I assume you're going to pay your respects...and that's why I'm here. That case will never leave me, as I have a feeling it will never leave you, for you were much more affected by it. Me personally...I can never forget a case where I so carelessly left a client in a situation where they could escape their troubles without bringing closure to the..." he paused. He remembered what happened last time when he had called her by that name. His face had stung for weeks from her slap.**_

_**"...without bringing closure to you."**_

_**She lowered her gaze to look at her gloved, clenched fists. This was something she hadn't wanted...but perhaps no one would ever notice that part...maybe no one would pay any attention.**_

_**"...I have something for you."**_

_**She looked up with wide eyes as the man held out a piece of paper in his hands. It looked like a piece of notebook paper...with something scribbled on it. **_

_**"Adele's body was exhumed recently. Her parents wanted to really make sure it was suicide, and not something else...even though you and I really know she did it. When the coroner was taking off pieces of the uniform that she was buried in...the same uniform that she wore to trial...he found this, and gave it to me. But I think...I think it would be better off in your hands. It's not much...but it's the closest thing to closure I can help give you."**_

_**She took the paper with shaky hands and as she felt her eyes well with tears, she shoved the paper into one of the pockets in her coat. **_

_**No. **_

_**No emotion.**_

_**"...thank you." she stated, letting her hair fall so that her eyes were not visible to him.**_

_**"...I must return back to my own cabin. If we do not see each other in the following time, then Auf Weidersehen, Frauline von Karma." Jakob stated, standing up and moving to the door and pushing aside the curtains. He had just opened the door and stepped foot outside of it, when he heard Franziska's voice, soft and gentle...completely different from the cold and confronting exterior that she had always presented herself as in front of him.**_

_**"...Auf Weidersehen, Jakob."**_

_I am writing my last words._

_I have killed an innocent woman...I can never live with myself for my sin._

_Perhaps if I had known any better, she would still live, and that child would be less lonely._

_I know nothing about her. But I could see it in her eyes._

_The longing for a mother I took away for her._

_I am guilty._

_There is no doubt._

_And when my last breath expires I will take with me the secrets that I know._

_Secrets that she should never hear._

_It is always better never to know what will change someone's world._

_And so I write my apologies here._

_For she will never know the truth._

_She may never have the closure one may need._

_And she may hate me for it._

_But as long as she knows this...I am guilty. I shot that woman without question...and I didn't stop. _

_**She tore the letter up, and watched it blow away in the breeze over her mother's grave.**_

_**The sky was a beautiful turquoise, and not a single cloud was forming overhead. A tiny smile appeared on her lips, as she bent down, and laid her whip on the ground in front of the grave. **_

_**"I...I don't think I need this any longer. I whipped Papa into shape...I showed him my potential. And I refuse to stop."**_

_**Franziska paused as she stood up, laying a hand on the stone. **_

_**"I am a von Karma by blood...and by choice. I have no desire to quit while I'm ahead. I may be my father's daughter...but Mama...I am yours as well."**_

* * *

_Vollkommenheit._

_FIN._


End file.
